Category: Blog

Advocates Take to Social Media to #BreakUpBigAg

OCM Staff

Between Monday, June 10th and Friday, June 14th the Organization for Competitive Markets led a social media campaign called #BreakUpBigAg to support the Agribusiness Merger Moratorium Act. Organizations and individual advocates published their pictures along with statements in support of the moratorium on Facebook and Twitter. In their pictures, participants were holding posters with facts about consolidation in our farm and food systems. These facts included: “1950s: farmers received 50% of the food dollar. Today: farmers receive 14.8% of Read More …

President Trump Should Say No to Brazil’s Beef Import Deal

OCM Staff

“With this acquisition, we become the largest beef company in the world.” With these words, JBS President Joesley Batista set in motion what today has become an invasion of the U.S. beef market by Brazilian corporations. Batista uttered these words in 2007 during JBS S.A.’s announcement that it had just purchased the U.S.’s third largest beef processor, Swift Food Company. A year later, JBS seized on the opportunity to expand its U.S. acquisitions and purchased Smithfield Beef Group, Read More …

Four Questions for Dr. Mary Hendrickson About Fair Farm and Food Markets

OCM Staff

We are starting 2019 with a one-of-a-kind educational opportunity for OCM members. Dr. Mary Hendrickson of the University of Missouri is kicking off our #AgJustice webinar series on February 26th. Dr. Hendrickson will be speaking about her research on developing a framework for evaluating the fairness of agricultural markets and sharing her expertise on resisting consolidation. In anticipation of our webinar, we hosted a Twitterview (Twitter interview) with Dr. Hendrickson. Read on for a few of her thoughts Read More …

OCM’s Top 10 Stories of 2018

OCM Staff

Here are the 10 stories that received the most traffic on the OCM website in 2018. Which issue is most important to you? Share your top pick with us in the comments. 10.  GIPSA is Dead; the Fight for Producer Protections Continues 9.    New Legislation Would Hit Pause on Mega-Mergers 8.    Petition Filed to End USDA Practice of Allowing Imported Meat to be Labeled “Product of U.S.A.” 7.    DOJ Approval of Bayer-Monsanto Mega-Merger Hangs Farmers Out to Dry 6.  Read More …

2018 in Review

OCM Staff

As 2018 draws to a close, OCM members and supporters should be proud of the successes we have gained together through our hard work and dedication. Our 20th year has clearly been one of our most impactful yet. Here’s why: OCM’s 20th Annual Food & Agriculture Conference We celebrated our 20th anniversary with a highly successful annual conference in Kansas City, MO. Speakers included Federal Trade Commissioner Rohit Chopra and Dr. Ricardo Salvador, director of the Food and Read More …

Voice from the Ranch: Nebraska Cattle Producer Screwed by JBS Speaks the Truth

OCM Staff

The world’s largest beef processing corporation, JBS, is underpaying family farmers and ranchers for their cattle. Even worse, our government is letting them get away with it. A recent announcement of yet another case where a JBS meatpacking plant failed to properly weigh and keep track of cattle delivered to its plant resulted in a paltry settlement between JBS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), highlighting how USDA is failing the American farmer and rancher. USDA Secretary Read More …

GIPSA is Dead; the Fight for Producer Protections Continues

OCM Staff

In a move designed to take a thorn out of the side of the world’s largest meatpackers, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue put the final nail in the coffin of the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) by formalizing the elimination of the standalone agency and transferring its delegation to the historically big agribusiness-friendly Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Among its duties, the now defunct GIPSA agency was responsible for enforcement of antitrust law in Read More …

Nov. 2018 Drovers Poll: Beef Checkoff Not Working for Cattle Producers

OCM Staff

On November 13, 2018, Drovers issued a poll asking the question, “Do you believe the Beef Checkoff is helping to stimulate beef demand and support your cattle business?” Two days later, the polling showed that 70 percent of Drovers’ audience who responded voted no. Even more telling was the more than 50 comments on the poll, which were removed from Drovers’ website that afternoon. However, screenshots of the deleted comments were preserved. See all of the deleted comments Read More …