The economic power of poultry in the Ozarks

SUMMARY The poultry industry is an essential part of the region’s economy in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. With poultry production has come large amounts of poultry litter to the region. Some suggest excess nutrients from poultry litter have negatively affected water, lowering its usefulness for recreational purposes. This conflict has put the poultry industry at the heart of environmental litigation in the region. The purpose of this paper was to examine, first, the economic contributions of the poultry industry in the region and, second, the potential economic costs associated with meeting water quality standards by reducing the amount of poultry litter produced. Results show that the poultry industry as a whole supports over 34,000 jobs in the northern economic region of the study area and nearly 15,500 jobs in the central region. Results also indicate that the economic activity in the northern region could decrease by around 2% and by over 3% in the central region due to regulations on the use of poultry litter. These results are useful for those interested in the economic contribution of the poultry industry to the region, including poultry integrators and producers as well as to policymakers looking to balance environmental quality and economic development.