Latest Biden appointees could signal greater antitrust enforcement in agriculture
Last week, President Biden tapped antitrust scholar Lina Khan to lead the Federal Trade Commission, the agency that oversees market competition, in a move that may signal the administration’s interest in taking on consolidation in ag. In 2012, Khan wrote a critical analysis of the Obama administration’s failed attempt to give contract growers more leverage with large meat processing companies. Another recent addition to the Biden team, law professor Tim Wu, has called on the federal government to investigate instances of market concentration, including seed and fertilizer conglomerates like Bayer and Dow DuPont. For anti-monopoly advocates in agriculture, both new hires are a promising sign of greater antitrust enforcement to come. Read Tom Philpott’s full analysis in Mother Jones.
