Latest Stories — Food & Power

Chicken Farmers’ Antitrust Suit Clears Hurdle, Plus New Data on Agribusiness Lobbying Might

New report shows special interests spent half a billion lobbying on the latest farm bill and chicken growers wage-fixing suit survives class certification.

Canada Raises Red Flags on Bunge-Viterra Merger

Canada’s Competition Bureau finds that Bunge’s takeover of Viterra would hurt some farmers and canola buyers.

As Bird Flu Hits Dairy Cows, Consolidation Amplifies Risk

Consolidated food production is more vulnerable to disruptions from diseases and plays a role in spreading them.

Dairy, Poultry & LivestockClaire KellowayApril 18, 2024Bird Flu, cattle, dairy, resiliency, Secondary Feature

Greedflation at the Supermarket is Real

The FTC published a report confirming what many suspected about the role of profiteering in driving up food prices and aggravating shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Policy, RetailClaire KellowayApril 4, 2024FTC, Inflation, grocery

Infant Formula Supply Chain Was Built to Break, FTC Report Reveals

An FTC retrospective on the 2022 infant formula crisis highlights the ways public procurement policies contribute to industry consolidation and supply chain vulnerability.

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.