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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Fair and competitive markets have long been the cornerstone of the American economy. Competition ensures that American farmers, ranchers, and those who grow our nation's food have the freedom to choose among different suppliers, employers, and retailers to buy and sell their product and the products they need. It spurs innovation, improves opportunities for producers and workers, and increases resiliency in the nation's food supply. For far too long, however, agriculture policy has been focused on 'get big or get out', resulting in the acceleration of corporate consolidation. This consolidation undermines economic resiliency and robust price competition. It lowers farmers' and ranchers' earnings, hamstrings their ability to compete, and limits the ability for rural economies to secure robust, self-sustaining prosperity. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic brought home to farmers, workers, and consumers the harms caused by bottlenecks in the center of America's agricultural and food systems. The pandemic exposed the risks and dangers created by many of today's production systems, which value hyper-efficiency over competition and resiliency.
USDA has taken a range of actions to tackle competition issues in agricultural markets. To address these large and complex problems as set out in our competition report, USDA is using all tools available, including working in concert with the rest of the Administration.
Highlights of USDA's efforts include:
Launching an unprecedented multibillion dollar investment plan to directly incentivize competition in food processing and fertilizer, creating more market opportunities and input options for producers.
USDA is investing $1 billion to expand independent meat and poultry processing capacity across the country as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain.