HOW FOOD MOVES From grains to grapes, the food we eat travels more than we might think. Behind every morning coffee or evening pasta dish is a supply chain that spans continents, connecting fields, factories, and forks. Whether it’s U.S. cotton destined for Bangladeshi textiles or Ecuadorian bananas stocked in American grocery stores, food’s global journey shapes economies, diets, and ecosystems. As borders blur, what we eat — and how it gets to us — reveals a complex web of trade, tradition, and transformation. Let’s follow the map of what’s on our plates.
BEEF The United States is the
world’s largest producer and consumer of beef with just 12% of Americans accounting for half the country’s consumption. South Korea, Japan, and China are beef’s top importers.
WINE France leads global wine exports by value, sending out almost $12 billion worth of wine annually, with the U.S. being a top importer.
CORN 1.15 billion metric tonnes ofcorn were produced in 2023.The United States is the world’s leading producer and consumer, contributing 32% of the global supply and consuming about 12 billion bushels annually. The top importers of corn are China, where the crop is primarily used to make animal feed, and Mexico, where it is a dietary staple.
OATS Most of the world’s oats come from the European Union and Russia. The U.S. imports 40% of the global market share, but Finland leads per-person consumption — their average peaked in 2022 at roughly 24 pounds per individual. Oat production is expected to grow 7% in the next six years thanks to the rise of plant-based diets.
RUSSIA
by Cassandra Marketos infographic by Haisam Hussein
NETHERLANDS
GERMANY
OLIVE OIL 2.44 million metric tons of olive oil were produced in 2022, though volume is expected to decline as a result of high temperatures and drought in the Mediterranean. Spain, Italy, and Greece are major producers, as is the North African country of Tunisia. The United States, Europe, and Turkey lead consumption.
FRANCE
WALNUTS Over half the world’s walnuts are produced in China, with the majority destined for Europe. The U.S. produces just 26% of the global supply, but accounts for a whopping 45% of the world market.
UNITED STATES
SPAIN
TOMATOES Mexico is the top exporter of tomatoes shipping over $3 billion worth in 2023. The U.S. imports more than any other country. LEMONS & LIMES One-third of the world’s lemons and limes are grown in Mexico and most end up in the U.S. where they’re used for juice or garnish.
JAPAN
CHINA
SOUTH KOREA
TEA Tea, a staple commodity traded worldwide, is exported mainly from China, India, and Sri Lanka. Pakistan leads in tea imports, valued at $707 million in 2022, followed by the United States and Russia.
ORANGES Brazil is the biggest grower of oranges, producing 32% of the world’s annual supply. However, production has declined 9% in recent years due to drought and extremely high temperatures. Europe is, by far, the largest importer.
PAKISTAN
INDIA
APPLES China produces over half the world’s apples, exporting the majority to countries like Russia and Indonesia. The U.S. produces only 6% of the global supply, with the majority coming from Washington State.
BANGLADESH
MEXICO
MILK India is the world’s largest milk producer, contributing 33% of the global supply, followed by the European Union, which contributes 22%. Germany is the largest importer, bringing in $2.03 billion worth of milk in 2022 — largely due to significant shifts in their domestic dairy industry that have resulted in decreased local supply.
PEANUTS India, the U.S., and Argentina supply the world with peanuts for a wide array of uses, from oils and butters to cosmetics and kitty litter. Nearly 40% of the world’s peanuts are imported by China, and used mostly for oil production.
AVOCADOS Mexico is the biggest
producerof avocados in the world with 73% of the global supply coming from the state of Michoacán alone. The majority go to the U.S.
COCOA 70% of the world’s cocoa beans are produced in West Africa, with Ivory Coast and Ghana being the largest exporters, supplying the global chocolate industry. The biggest cacao importer is the Netherlands, where it’s used to mass produce cocoa powder for hot chocolate and chocolate bars.
VIETNAM
IVORY COAST
GHANA
ECUADOR
INDONESIA
COTTON Cotton makes up 25% of the world’s fiber use. China produces the most, at 24%, but the U.S. is the largest cotton exporter, accounting for one third of global trade — primarily from sending raw fiber to countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh, where it’s used to produce textiles.
GRAPES Grapes are major exports from countries like Chile, Peru, the United States, and Italy. Within the United States, California alone accounts for 98% of table grape production — making the fruit one of the state’s top commodities, second only to dairy. TheU.S. is also the largest importer of grapes, which are primarily used to make wine.
BANANAS 80% of the world’s bananas are exported from Latin America and the Caribbean, with Ecuador exporting the most, supplying the United States and Europe.
BRAZIL
PERU
SUGAR A quarter of the world’s sugar comes from Brazil. About 80% of sugar is made from sugarcane, the rest from sugar beet. This global staple is estimated to be found in 75% of packaged foods worldwide. COFFEE Brazil produces 39% of the world’s coffee, one of the most-traded global commodities. The U.S. produces none, but still has the world’s most profitable coffee market.
SOYBEANS The United States and Brazil dominate the soybean market, together producing 68% of the world’s supply. Over 70% of U.S. soybeans are used to feed livestock. PALM OIL Indonesia and Malaysia produce 84% of the world’s palm oil, which appears in products from shampoo and laundry detergent to peanut butter. Its production, however, reduces local biodiversity, negatively
POTATOES China and India produce about a third of the world’s potatoes, which are one of the top three most- consumed staples in the world, finding a place on the dinner table in just about every country. ALMONDS California grows about 80% of the world’s almonds, making the crop a leading U.S. export with shipments going to more than 90 countries annually. The water footprint of one California almond averages 3.2 gallons.
RICE Rice is one of the world’stop three staples; 520 million tonnes were produced in 2023. China and India grow more than 50% of global rice supply, and are the crop’s top consumers. Together, they account for 268 million metric tons of rice usage per year. PORK China produces 50% of the global pork supply, and Hong Kong leads the world in consumption at approximately 122 pounds per capita.
SEAFOOD In 2022, the global seafood trade comprised 60 million metric tons to satisfy a market that has doubled in consumption per capita since the 1960s. China dominates the market in production and consumption, producing roughly 35% of the global market — andconsuming 45% of it.
WHEAT China and the European Union are the world’s biggest wheat growers — producing a combined 34%. China also leads in consumption, using the crop to make dough for noodles, dumplings, and pastries. Wheat accounts for roughly 18% of the world’s caloric intake, so production disruptions can have significant consequences on global food security.
SOURCES: American Scientist • Blue Book Services • The Bullvine • California Department of Food and Agriculture • European Commission • Feed & Additive • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations • Globe Newswire • Grand View Research • The Grocer • Iowa Farm Bureau • Iowa State University • IUCN • Les Grappes • MDPI • Morning Ag Clips • National Library of Medicine • The Observatory of Economic Complexity • PNAS Nexus • Research Gate • ScienceDirect • Springer • Statista • Sustainable Fisheries • TrendEconomy • USDA • Wiley • World Bank Group • World Population Review • World’s Top Exports
CHILE
CHEESE The European Union is
responsible for nearly half the world’s supply of cheese. They also have the highest cheese consumption per capita.
impacting up to193 threatened species.
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ISSUE 02
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