Thanks to La Vida Locavore, I’m catching up on news that the antitrust division of the Justice Department has teamed up with the Department of Agriculture to learn about the impact of consolidation in agriculture.
Starting in March, the DOJ and USDA, will “hold a series of joint public workshops to explore competition issues affecting the agricultural sector in the 21st century and the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in that industry,” according to the DOJ’s site.
The feds appear to be exploring a whole host of topics.
When the joint project was announced in August, the Assistant AG in charge of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division posited the effort as a pretty big first.
She said, “For the first time ever, farmers, ranchers, consumers groups, agribusinesses and the federal government will openly discuss legal and economic issues associated with competition in the agriculture industry. This is an important step forward in determining the best course of action to address the unique competition issues in agriculture.”
Sounds very exciting.
It’s doubtful I’ll get a chance to attend any of these in person (except maybe Madison in June). But I’m hoping there will be some farm bloggers in attendance…and hopefully the local media will show too.
Oh. And even though the workshops start in March, the window for filing public comments on the scheduled topics is closing. Comments must be sent here — agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov — by Dec. 31. More on submitting comments here.
Here’s a rundown of the topics, workshop dates and locations:
March 12, 2009 – Ankeny, Iowa
Issues of Concern to Farmers
Introduction to the workshops series with a focus on the issues facing crop farmers. Discussion topics may include seed technology, vertical integration, market transparency and buyer power.
May 21, 2010 – Normal, Alabama
Poultry Industry
Discussion topics may include production contracts in the poultry industry, concentration and buyer power.
June 7, 2010 – Madison, Wisconsin
Dairy Industry
Discussion topics may include concentration, marketplace transparency and vertical integration in the dairy industry.
August 26, 2010 – Fort Collins, Colorado
Livestock Industry
This workshop will focus on beef, hog and other animal sectors. Topics may include enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act and concentration.
December 8, 2010 – Washington, D.C.
Margins
This workshop will look at the discrepancies between the prices received by farmers and the prices paid by consumers. As a concluding event, discussions from previous workshops will be incorporated into the analysis of agriculture markets nationally.
Virtual Farmgirl 