Competition Corner

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the attorneys general of 31 states and the District of Columbia launched an “Agricultural Competition Partnership” on July 19, 2023, to “enhance competition and protect consumers in food and agricultural markets.” This partnership between USDA and a bipartisan group of states is dedicated to helping states identify and respond to anticompetitive and anti-consumer behavior in food and agricultural markets, including in grocery, meat and poultry processing, and other sectors.

On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy and the White House’s Fact Sheet, intended to promote competition and update regulations to combat anticompetitive practices. Included in the Order are several directives to address the Biden administration’s concerns about reduced competition in the agricultural industry, calling for sweeping updates to a key enforcement mechanism in the agricultural industry, the Packers and Stockyard Act of 1921.