SAFE AND EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF FOOD IS A BASIC SOCIETY NEED THAT THE US FOOD MANUFACTURING HELPS TO COVER. THERE IS SOME DEFICIT, HOWEVER, IN THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS ECONOMIC SECTOR HAS PERFORMED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS AT A DISAGGREGATED LEVEL, THAT IS, AT THE LEVEL THAT DESCRIBES HOW THE THOUSANDS OF FIRMS AND ESTABLISHMENTS INVOLVED IN THIS PRODUCTION DO. THE PROJECT FOCUS ON MEASURING PRODUCTIVITY (OUTPUT REACHED BY MEANS OF THE INPUTS USE) AND ITS EVOLUTION, EMPLOYENT AND ITS EVOLUTION (IN PARTICULAR AS IMPACTED BY THE EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS), AND THE RESULTS OF THE FIRMS IN TERMS OF REACHED MARGINS AND, IN GENERAL, INCENTIVES. THE PROJECT WILL ANALYZE ALL THIS WITH ADVANCED ECONOMIC AND STATISTICAL METHODS APPLIED TO THE DATA COLLECTED IN THE CENSUS OF MANUFACTURING, STRESSING THE HETEROGENEITY OF RESULTS AND DYNAMICS OF EVOLUTION. THE MAIN ULTIMATE GOAL IS THAT THE INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CURRENT WORKING OF THE ECONOMIC FORCES.THIS SHOULD HELP AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTE THE BENEFITS THAT SOCIETY GETS FROM THE WORKING OF THE SECTOR (GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTHY INCENTIVES).