Nearly half of the global agriculture market is controlled by four companies. This level of concentration – driven by decades of mergers and poor regulation – has allowed agribusiness “titans” to dominate the farming sector.
Alasdair talks to Dr Jennifer Clapp, author of a new book about corporate domination of the farm sector and why it matters. Alasdair and Jennifer discuss how and why mass-merging has led to market distortions and high prices, and what solutions could improve the state of the sector.
Dr. Jennifer Clapp is a Professor at the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She is a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.
Further reading:
- Concentration and crises: exploring the deep roots of vulnerability in the global industrial food system, The Journal of Peasant Studies, October 2022
- The global power of Big Agriculture’s lobbying, Financial Times, August 2024
- Canada’s agricultural policies are falling short of health and sustainability goals, The Conversation, October 2024
- Why has the US government profiled pesticide scientists? Land and Climate Review, February 2025
- The Cargill Playbook: how corn subsidies created America’s largest private company, Land and Climate Review, June 2024
