Latest Stories — Food & Power

FTC Sues to Block Kroger-Albertsons Merger; USDA Finalizes Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Retaliation Rule

Antitrust enforcers dealt two major challenges to corporate power at different ends of the food supply chain over the past two weeks.

How California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Entrenches Industrial Animal Farms and Local Pollution

The California Air Resources Board is weighing a change to its low carbon fuel standard, which critics say overvalues gas from livestock manure lagoons.

Policy, Dairy, Poultry & LivestockClaire KellowayFebruary 23, 2024Methane, Biogas, California, climate change, Secondary Feature

HHS Partners With Instacart to Advance Food as Medicine

The federal government has tapped an unlikely accomplice, Instacart, to combat diet-related disease and expand “food as medicine” programs. Yet Instacart’s gig-worker business model drives the economic inequality at the root of nutrition disparity.

Washington AG Sues to Block Kroger-Albertsons Merger

Kroger and Albertsons sell over half of all groceries in Washington state. State antitrust enforcers say that their merger will raise prices and harm workers and they’re suing to stop the deal.

Private Equity’s Cold Storage Roll-Up Could Pay Off in 2024, but It Cost Small Food Companies

Just two companies control over 70% of cold storage in the US. Dozens of acquisitions shut small food companies out of chilled warehouse space. But new construction is on the rise.

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