Latest Stories — Food & Power

“The Meat of the Future” Risks Capture by Today’s Monopolists

Policy makers have a chance to create an open, competitive, and fair cellular meat industry. But early investments by venture capital and conventional meat could shape this new market in Big Ag’s image.

Antitrust Enforcers Draft New Guidelines for Approving Mergers. Here’s What It Means for the Food Industry.

DOJ and FTC set new standards for reviewing mergers and acquisitions that take a stronger stance against concentrated market structures, vertical integration, harms to suppliers, and more.

Policy, EnforcementClaire KellowayAugust 10, 2023FTC, DOJ, merger guidelines, mergers, vertical integration, Secondary Feature

Retail Media Advertising Revenues Could Favor Big Stores and Big Brands

Grocers want to cash in on their troves of shopper data by selling more targeted ad spots online and in-store. But the largest grocers and food brands are poised to make the most money and sales off this growing trend.

RetailAnnie SholarJuly 27, 2023advertising, data, Kroger, walmart, grocery, Groceries

Walmart To Open Second Beef Plant, Raising Concerns About Vertical Integration in Cattle Markets

Walmart will source beef for its new case-ready beef plant in Kansas from Sustainable Beef, a rancher-owned packing plant in which Walmart has a minority stake. Founders say this is the future, other ranchers say its the end of competitive price discovery.

New Legislation Could Help Break Up the Visa-Mastercard Duopoly

Visa and Mastercard’s duopoly over credit networks has driven up swipe fees and raised costs for small grocers. A new bill wants to give stores more options for accepting credit cards.

Policy, RetailAnnie SholarJune 29, 2023Credit Cards, Visa, grocery, restaurant

Bunge and Viterra’s Mega Merger Would Dramatically Consolidate Global Grain Trade

Bunge’s proposed merger with Glencore’s Viterra would be the largest grain trading deal in over a decade, creating a global agricultural commodity goliath to rival industry leaders Archer-Daniels-Midland and Cargill.

Farm Credit Seeks Exemption from CFPB Small Business Lending Transparency Rule

The Farm Credit system is the largest lender in agriculture. It wants an exemption from a new CFPB sunshine rule aimed at identifying discrimination in small business lending.

PolicyClaire KellowayJune 1, 2023farm credit, credit, CFPB, Racial Equity

Report Analyzes How Public Food Purchasing Can Promote Food Justice

A new report by the HEAL Food Alliance and Food Chain Workers Alliance draws on a decade of organizing to identify how public food purchasing programs can better advance racial equity and worker organizing.

As Food Prices Keep Rising, Study Finds Market Power Drove Pandemic Inflation

A new economic study makes the case that concentrated market power helped corporations pull off pandemic price hikes and reap record profits.

Colorado Passes First Tractor Right to Repair Law

Colorado will be the first state to require farm equipment makers to share or sell all the tools, manuals, and software that farmers need to fix their tractors and combines. 16 other states have introduced similar bills.

PolicyClaire KellowayApril 20, 2023Right to Repair, Tractors, John Deere, Secondary Feature

Class Action Alleging Sheep Herder Wage-Fixing Moves Forward

Sheep ranchers hire guest workers, the bulk of their workforce, through a joint venture that offers the same, legal minimum wage across all openings. A class action suit alleges this violates antitrust laws.

USDA Report Highlights Harms of Seed Consolidation and Restrictive IP

A USDA report reveals that a handful of monopolies control most the patents on top U.S. commodity crops, inhibiting critical seed research, diversification, and competition.