Latest Stories — Food & Power

FTC Vote to Repeal Vertical Merger Guidelines Signals Shift to Stronger Enforcement

Antitrust agencies have had a light touch on vertical merger enforcement for decades. That may be about to change.

Mergers & Acquisitions, PolicyClaire KellowaySeptember 16, 2021Antitrust, mergers, vertical integration, FTC

Multinational Meatpackers Move in on Aquaculture

JBS makes a bid for Australia’s second-largest salmon corporation, supercharging fears about factory farms at sea.

SeafoodClaire KellowaySeptember 2, 2021JBS, Aquaculture, fisheries, fishermen, consolidation

Cargill, Continental Grain Take Over Chicken Leader Sanderson Farms for $4.5 Billion

As poultry corporations face price- and wage-fixing scandals, Cargill and Continental Grain want to further consolidate the industry.

Q&A with Olivia Watkins, President of the Black Farmer Fund

For the third and final installment of Food & Power’s series on financier investment in farmland, Humon Heidarian spoke with Olivia Watkins, co-founder and president of the Black Farmer Fund.

PolicyHumon HeidarianAugust 5, 2021Q&A, investment, Racial Equity

Deep Pockets in Farmland Investment Exacerbate Racial Inequities

Food & Power presents the second article in a three-part series examining the influence of farmland investing on equity and the future of food.

PolicyHumon HeidarianJuly 28, 2021Land, Racial Equity, Brazil, investment

What Biden’s Executive Order on Competition Means for Food Systems

President Biden’s executive order directs government agencies to promote competition across the economy, with over 70 recommendations. Here’s what it means for food and farm systems.

PolicyClaire KellowayJuly 15, 2021GIPSA, Executive Order, restaurant, meatpacking, Alcohol, retail

The Financier Farmland Rush is Bad for Racial Equity and the Environment

Food & Power presents the first article in a three-part series examining the influence of farmland investing on equity and the future of food.

PolicyHumon HeidarianJuly 8, 2021Land, Inv

USDA Invests Big in Food Assistance, Food Box Program Provides Cautionary Tale

USDA intended to buy local in its Farmers to Families Food Box program, but changed criteria to favor the lowest bidder and bigger contractors. Will the agency learn its lesson in a new round of food assistance funding?

PolicyAlexandra SpringJune 24, 2021USDA, local, Procurement

Cyberattacks Aren’t the Only Issue in America’s Concentrated Cattle Market

Lawmakers and ranchers want answers from antitrust enforcers about rising consumer beef prices and stagnant live cattle prices.

Poultry & LivestockClaire KellowayJune 10, 2021cattle, Antitrust, JBS, commodity markets

California Bill Would Increase Wages and Protections for Fast Food Workers, Hold Corporations Accountable

Strict contracts push franchisees to profit off exploiting workers. By holding parent companies accountable and setting standards across the industry, a California bill could change that.

LaborClaire KellowayMay 27, 2021Fast Food, Franchising, workers, worker safety, Competition, unions

Tech Giants Burn Cash on Grocery Delivery, But at What Expense?

No one seems to know how to offer quick, profitable grocery delivery without gouging grocers, exploiting workers, or abandoning brick-and-mortar stores altogether.

Congress and Corporations Push Private Carbon Markets, But Equity and Accuracy Concerns Loom Large

The Biden administration is pushing for private carbon markets but some farmers and environmentalists are wary of corporate dominance and green washing.

PolicyClaire KellowayApril 29, 2021climate change, Farm Data, Carbon Markets, USDA