A broad coalition of 219 farm, food, rural, faith, and consumer advocacy organizations delivered a letter to Congress endorsing food and agribusiness merger moratorium bills introduced in both chambers. The Food and Agribusiness Merger Moratorium and Antitrust Review Act of 2019 would put a moratorium in place on large agriculture, food and beverage manufacturing, and grocery retail mergers to allow time to assess the impact corporate consolidation has on farmers, workers, consumers, and communities.
It also recommends improvements to antitrust enforcement. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson says lax antitrust enforcement has greatly reduced competition in the industries that supply and buy from family farmers and ranchers, saddling them with higher input costs, fewer choices, and less innovation.
“After a recent wave of agribusiness mergers, this legislation would provide a much-needed opportunity to evaluate the damage and establish stronger safeguards to prevent this level of consolidation in the future,” Johnson says. “We heartily support this merger moratorium and we urge Congress to do so as well by passing it swiftly.”