Tribal Agriculture in Arizona: An Economic Contribution Analysis

Arizona's twenty-two federally recognized tribes have practiced agriculture for thousands of years, developing sophisticated systems based on ecological knowledge, water management, and crop diversity. These systems are key to tribal economies, cultural identity, and food sovereignty. However, despite its importance, the state-wide economic role of tribal agriculture has been scarcely studied. 

This report provides a systematic profile of tribal agriculture using the best publicly available data and methods. We conduct a comprehensive benchmark of tribal agriculture’s economic contribution in Arizona, the first to our knowledge. The main goal of this report is to serve as a foundation for future research, improved understanding, and more refined analyses over time. The report does not quantify other critical values of tribal agricultural production such as cultural values, nutritional and public health benefits, food sovereignty, and environmental values. Nonetheless, this study provides a needed baseline assessment of existing tribal agricultural activity in Arizona.

Measuring Tribal Agriculture with Secondary Data

• The USDA Census of Agriculture, Reservation Census, and Navajo Nation Census together provide baseline data that can be used to develop economic estimates.
• Where official data fall short (for instance, when reservations span multiple states and it becomes difficult to isolate Arizona-specific activity), tools such as USDA’s CropScape (a satellite-based cropland mapping tool) and grey literature sources such as institutional reports and Extension publications may help refine and validate estimates.
• The estimates produced here represent a starting point for future analysis and can inform efforts by tribes and their partners to improve the precision of future analyses.

Statewide Economic Contribution

• On-farm sales of tribal agriculture in Arizona totaled $434 million in 2022, directly contributing $168.8 million to Arizona's GDP.
• Crop production represented most of the activity ($410 million), with livestock contributing an additional $23.9 million.
• Tribal agriculture in Arizona directly supported roughly 2,300 jobs in the state and $106.6 million in labor income in 2022.

A Three-Quarter of Billion Dollar Output Contribution  

In addition to these direct effects, Tribal agriculture also generates multiplier effects. Indirect multiplier effects measure the economic activity stimulated in industries supplying agriculture with inputs to production, such as fertilizer, water, or machinery. Induced multiplier effects measure economic activity that results when people employed in agriculture spend their incomes within the local economy on rent, groceries, or doctors’ visits, for example. Combined, these direct, indirect, and induced effects measure the total economic contribution of an industry to a regional economy.

Including multiplier effects, tribal agriculture supported:

• More than three-quarters of a billion ($753.3 million) in total output.
• $347.5 million in total value added.
• $198 million in total labor income.
• 3,820 jobs statewide.

Economic Spillovers into Non-Tribal Areas of Arizona

Tribal agriculture generates significant economic activity beyond reservation boundaries. In non-tribal areas of Arizona, tribal agricultural production generated:

• $296.7 million in sales (output)
• $159.8 million in value added (gross state product)
• $90.1 million in labor income
• 1,675 jobs

Roughly 85% of total multiplier effects from tribal agriculture in Arizona spill over into non-tribal areas of the state

Geographic concentration of spillover effects:

• Maricopa County: $203 million
• Yuma County: $31 million
• Pima County: $18 million

Home Consumption of Tribal Production

• Beyond market sales, tribal agriculture supports an estimated $28 million in food produced for home consumption (farm-gate value). If purchased at retail, this food would cost roughly $116 million.
• The Navajo Nation accounts for the majority of this value.
• This production does not enter formal market channels but directly supports food security in tribal communities.
• This estimate is conservative and likely understates the market value of tribal food production for home consumption. It also does not capture other values, such as cultural, ecological, and other values created through tribal agricultural production. 

The study uses multiple data sources and methods to build a comprehensive picture of tribal agriculture in Arizona. It begins by aggregating data on farm and producer characteristics from the 2022 Census of Agriculture and the 2022 American Indian Reservation Census, covering both state-level and county-level data. Building on that foundation, the report estimates agricultural sales and models the broader economic contributions of tribal agriculture using the IMPLAN model, specifically using multi-industry contribution analysis and multi-regional input-output analysis methods. It also examines tribal agricultural production for home consumption and explores the potential impacts of developing tribal agricultural value chains.