Break up Big Food

[Guest guest]

_End corporate control of your food!_

(http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=5)

 

 

The evidence is in: America’s food system is broken. Every week we read

about record-breaking food safety recalls, a spiraling childhood obesity

epidemic, and the continued loss of independent family farmers.

 

 

All of these problems can be traced back to one thing: excessive

consolidation by Big, corporate food. But change may be on the way.

 

 

Recently, the Departments of Justice and Agriculture held their first

joint workshop here in Iowa to gather evidence of antitrust violations in food

and agriculture.1 We were encouraged by the workshop, the first of five to

be held this year,2but also concerned that the same companies that have

caused these problems were well represented on the panels, while the family

farmers most negatively impacted by corporate food monopolies were only given

the opportunity to speak after public officials had left the building.

 

 

Even though these workshops are an important first step, real family

farmers must have a seat at the table. It will take all our voices to ensure

that the Justice department holds giant agribusiness accountable.

 

 

Please join us and tell the Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of

Agriculture Tom Vilsack that it’s time to break up America's corporate food

monopolies before they do more harm.

_http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=7

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(http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=7)

 

 

The aisles of most American grocery stores give an overwhelming illusion

of choice when it comes to our food. A closer look, however, quickly reveals

that most of the meat, grain, milk — and even the grocery stores

themselves — are all owned and controlled by just a few corporations.

 

 

The figures are startling:

 

• A single company (Monsanto) controls the seeds of 93% of soybeans and

80% of the corn grown in the U.S.3

 

 

• 4 companies (Tyson, Cargill, Swift & National Beef Packing Co.) control

83% of the beef packing industry4

 

 

• 4 companies (Smithfield, Tyson, Swift & Cargill) control 66% of the pork

packing industry

 

 

For too long now, food and agricultural production has been consolidated

into the hands of a few agribusiness giants. These companies dictate to us

how our food is produced, how much farmers are paid for their crops and

livestock and how much consumers pay for food.

 

 

Food Democracy Now! participated in last week's workshop. We heard

Attorney General Eric Holder talk about the “reckless deregulation that has

restricted competition in agriculture†and promise that the Department of

Justice, under his watch, was committed to “vigorous enforcement†of U.S.

antitrust laws.

 

 

But given the power of the companies on the other side, we know that the

change we need will not come easily. We must stand together and make our

voices heard in favor of a fair and democratic food system!

 

 

Please support Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder as they move

forward. Join them today in pushing for real enforcement of U.S. antitrust

laws and an end to America’s food monopolies. It only takes a moment. And

after you've signed the petition, please ask your friends and family to do

the same.

 

_http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=9

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(http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/bust_up_big_food/124?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=9)

 

 

Thank you for participating in food democracy –

 

Dave, Lisa and The Food Democracy Now Team

 

 

P.S. The next hearing will be in Normal, Alabama on May 21st 2010, and

will focus on the poultry industry, followed by a hearing on the notoriously

concentrated dairy industry in Madison, Wisconsin on June 7th. We’ll be sure

to keep you informed.

 

Sources:

 

1. US pledges to probe, bust agribusiness monopolies, Reuters, March 12,

2010

_http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/125?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=12_

(http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/125?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=12)

 

2. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Public Workshops,

Agriculture and Antitrust Enforcement Issues in Our 21st Century Economy

_http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/94?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=14_

(http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/94?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=14)

 

3. Monsanto’s dominance draws antitrust inquiry, Patented seeds are go-to

for farmers, who decry their fast-growing price, The Washington Post,

November 29, 2009

_http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/95?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=16_

(http://fdn.actionkit.com/go/95?akid=112.100181.bs7Bj9 & t=16)

 

4. 2007 Concentration of Agricultural Markets report, compiled by Mary

Hendrickson and William Heffernan of University of Missouri Department of

Rural Sociology.

 

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Break up America's corporate food monopolies

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rd=1 & t=1_

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_Family farmers need your help today!_

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Sign the Petition

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rd=1 & t=4_

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