Advocacy Organization Urges Obama Administration to Take Agricultural Antitrust Action

Food & Water Watch has issued an alert seeking support for its call on the Obama administration to enforce antitrust laws against the agribusiness industry. According to the alert, “[m]ore than 85 percent of U.S. beef cattle are slaughtered by just four companies,” “[t]wo companies sell half of U.S. corn seed,” “[o]ne company controls 40 percent of the U.S. fluid milk supply,” and “[f]ive firms dominate the grocery sector, ensuring that low prices paid to farmers aren’t passed along to consumers at the store.”

Referring to hearings planned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice in 2010 to consider the “state of competition in agriculture markets,” the consumer organization has urged supporters to let these agencies “know that they must do a thorough investigation of the lack of competition in agriculture, as well as take immediate action to deal with unfair practices and lack of competition that are wreaking havoc on farmers and consumers across the country.” See Food & Water Watch Alert, December 15, 2009.