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Organization for Competitive Markets  
Winter Special Edition 2014

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Some things don't change - Money, power and greed lead to corruption
Some things don't change - In 1918 the Federal Trade Commission reported packers were "manipulating markets, restricting flow of foods, controlling the price of dressed meat, defrauding producers and consumers of food, and crushing competition." Five packers (Armour, Cudahy, Morris, Swift and Wilson) controlled half the market. The Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 was legislated to prevent another catastrophic monopoly-like meat trust from forming again. Today, four packers control 85% of the market, and predictably ... more.

The Politics & Economics of Food - A presentation at Lamar Community College March 2014

I studied Animal Science at Lamar Community College in 1972 and 1973 prior to completing my Animal Science degree at Colorado State University. A lot has changed in agriculture as Land Grant institutions have taught students that agriculture is a business, not a way of life, steering us well off the path of a sustainable food system ... more.

The New Meat Monopoly: How Consolidation Affects the ANIMAL
A generation ago, the business of raising animals for food in America looked much like it had at the Founding - family farms, open and competitive markets, high standards, and a self sustaining national economy. Today, vast corporations rule almost every corner of the animal agriculture landscape, and these giants are increasingly controlled from foreign capitals. Some economists argue in favor of this new order of things, mainly claiming it... more.

SURVEY: Beef producers: do you support the $1 checkoff program?
By Peggy Lowe | Mar. 18, 2014 Cattle business from the producers' eyes Allen and Lynda Berry own a cow-calf operation in central Missouri. (Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media) The beginning for most cows starts on a family farm where cow-calf operators raise cattle the old-school way. But some worry that the industry is moving towards consolidation, like the hog and poultry industries. Click here to read about what life is... more.

Book Hour: The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business
Family farms and ranches are disappearing at rate of over 10,000 per year. Those who survive are being squeezed by the four powerful multi-national agri-business corporations that control 85% of the meat markets. Their control is eliminating fair markets for food, crushing rural economies, leading to record prices and profits, and creating ungodly conditions for animals with additives, steroids, antibiotics, and genetic engineering that distorts animal physiology. The power of... more.

No legislative riders to limit or restrict the Secretary's rulemaking and enforcement authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921
Testimony Submitted by Bill Bullard CEO, R-CALF USA to the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee March 20, 2014 Contact Name and Email: Bill Bullard, billbullard@r-calfusa.com AGENCY: USDA-Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Request: No legislative riders to limit or restrict the Secretary's rulemaking and enforcement authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 On behalf of the members of the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF... more.

Coalition for a Prosperous America honors Fred Stokes with Organization for Competitive Markets
  Fred set the spiritual tone for this organization ad we are eternally ... more.

The New Meat Monopoly: The Animal, The Farmer, and You in the New Age of Global Giants
A generation ago, the business of raising animals for food in America looked much like it had at the Founding - family farms, open and competitive markets, high standards, and a self sustaining national economy. Today, vast corporations rule almost every corner of the animal agriculture landscape, and these giants are increasingly controlled from foreign capitals. Some economists argue in favor of this new order of things, mainly claiming it... more.

 
 The Organization for Competitive Markets is a national, non-profit public policy research organization headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. OCM believes we must work together, across all commodities, toward the common purpose of returning its food and agricultural sector to true supply-demand based competition. Competitive markets in agriculture is our goal, giving rise to the organization's name. This concern transcends to the international level as international trade agreements threaten our national sovereignty while increasing the market power of global agri-businesses.

Sincerely,

 


Pat Craycraft
Organization for Competitive Markets

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OCM is a membership-based research and advocacy organization.

We are the only national think tank focusing strictly on antitrust and trade policy in agriculture.

We are "pro-business" because we believe in free markets and the law of supply and demand to allocate resources properly.

We are "conservative" because we believe American values such as honesty and morality should be demanded of our businesses and politicians.

We are "liberal" because we believe government has a regulatory role to create and enforce the rules of doing business, thereby avoiding capitalism.

We are "populist" because we have determined our nation is made economically and culturally wealthy by preserving the ability of independent families to produce our food without fear of the economically dominant firms in agribusiness.


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Disclaimer The opinions of the authors presented in our newsletter are their own and are not intended to imply the organizations position. OCM has membership with diverse viewpoints on all issues. OCM is committed to one and only one principal; competition.