Latest Stories — Food & Power

2023 Year End Round Up

A recap of some of our biggest stories of 2023 and a look ahead to antimonopoly action expected in 2024.

Jury Finds Egg Companies Guilty of Price-Fixing

After 15 years in the courts, last week a federal jury found the two largest egg companies guilty of conspiring to cut the egg supply and raise prices.

USDA and DOJ Take On Deceptive, Exclusionary Poultry Contracts

USDA and DOJ collaborate to sue Koch Foods for restrictive contract termination fees. USDA also finalizes poultry contract transparency rule. Farmers say keep the foot on the gas.

Poultry & Livestock, PolicyClaire KellowayNovember 16, 2023Packers and Stockyards, poultry, tournament, transparency, DOJ, USDA

President Biden Criticizes Corporate Consolidation on “Barnstorming” Tour While Farmers Await Further Action

President Biden spoke on the harms of corporate consolidation at a Minnesota farm to kick off a rural tour. His administration still has work to do to challenge corporate power, especially in the meat industry.

PolicyClaire KellowayNovember 2, 2023Biden

Why Albertsons and Kroger's Spinoff Deal Won’t Work

Checking in on antitrust review of Kroger and Albertson’s proposed merger, one year later.

Justice Department Challenges Information-Sharing Scheme Between Meat Processors

Agri Stats collects and shares detailed data on meat companies’ prices, wages, production levels, and profit margins. Antitrust enforcers say that meat packers used this information to fix prices and suppress wages.

EnforcementClaire KellowayOctober 5, 2023enforcement, agri stats, meatpacking, price fixing, DOJ, Secondary Feature

Private Equity Prompts Another Grocery Merger, Aldi and Winn-Dixie

After extracting hundreds of millions in dividends and navigating two bankruptcies, Lone Star private equity wants to sell Winn-Dixie to Aldi, further consolidating the Florida grocery market and putting thousands of jobs at risk.

RetailClaire KellowaySeptember 21, 2023grocery, Groceries, mergers, private equity, Aldi, Secondary Feature

“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