Food & Agriculture
Sector Overview
The Food and Agriculture Sector is almost entirely under private ownership and is composed of an estimated 2.2 million farms, 900,000 restaurants, and more than 400,000 registered food manufacturing, processing, and storage facilities. This sector accounts for roughly one-fifth of the nation's economic activity.
The Food and Agriculture Sector has critical dependencies with many sectors, but particularly with the following:
Water and Wastewater Systems, for clean irrigation and processed water;
Transportation Systems, for movement of products and livestock;
Energy, to power the equipment needed for agriculture production and food processing; and
Financial Services, Chemical, and Dams.
Food & Agriculture Sector
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Paul McFadden
Paul McFadden is an agricultural irrigation business consultant with decades of experience spanning agribusiness, horticulture, and irrigation infrastructure across local, national, and global markets. He brings deep expertise in drip and micro-irrigation systems, agricultural finance, sales leadership, and supply chain operations, having held senior roles with leading irrigation and equipment manufacturers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Currently self-employed, Paul advises companies nationwide on irrigation strategy and business operations. He also serves as Infrastructure Liaison Officer (ILO) with the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center (Fusion Center) and Sector Chief for Food & Agriculture with InfraGard San Diego, supporting the protection and resilience of critical food and agriculture infrastructure.