http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/11/93&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
28-Jun-2011 (15 years 18 days ago)An Eurostat overview shows that there were just over 48 million people employed within the EU27’s food chain in 2008, equivalent to more than a fifth of total employment.
The food chain was made-up of almost 17 million different holdings/enterprises and generated 750 billion euro of value added, equivalent to around 6% of the GDP of the EU27. Four fifths of the holdings/enterprises within the food chain were agricultural holdings. These holdings also generated the majority of employment (56%) within the food chain. However, value added was more evenly spread over the different actors in the food chain, with 26% each of total value added recorded in agriculture and food & beverage manufacturing, 20% in food & beverage retailing, 17% in food & beverage services1 and 11% in food & beverage wholesaling.