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Concentration in U.S. Meatpacking Industry and How it Affects Competition and Cattle Prices
Open accessAbstract
Meatpacking is a concentrated industry, with a few firms accounting for most production. Across the entire U.S. economy as well as in agribusiness, industry concentration has reemerged as a policy issue. In 2020, the House Committee on Agriculture directed USDA to investigate the vulnerability of the beef supply chain and the level of concentration in the industry. In 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order, “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” which referred specifically to meatpacking concentration and its effects on financial returns to farmers and ranchers. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice—charged with enforcing the Nation’s antitrust laws—jointly issued revisions to their “Merger Guidelines” aimed at concentration in U.S. industries.
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“First, dominant firms within highly concentrated food system segments can exercise market power, which enables them to earn excess profits -often by charging higher prices, suppressing wages, and weakening livelihood opportunities.”
From Corporate concentration and power matter for agency in food systems (2025) · cites this paper as MacDonald 2024
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“A recent USDA study noted that since 2016, as concentration in the meat sector accelerated and capacity became more constrained, ' packers have been able to reduce prices paid for cattle with help from a combination of high concentration and limited packing plant capacity ' (MacDonald 2024).”
From Corporate concentration and power matter for agency in food systems (2025) · cites this paper as MacDonald 2024
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“In the United States (US), the four largest meatpacking firms purchase 85 % of steers and heifers and 67 % of hogs (MacDonald 2024).”
From Corporate concentration and power matter for agency in food systems (2025) · cites this paper as MacDonald 2024
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Corporate concentration and power matter for agency in food systems
Clapp, J., Vriezen, R., Laila, A., Conti, C., Gordon, L., Hicks, C., & Rao, N. (2025) · Food Policy · doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102897 · Cited by 64
Metadata
- Authors
- MacDonald, J. M.
- Corresponding author
- MacDonald, James M.
- ORCID
- MacDonald, James M.
- Venue
- Unknown
- Publisher
- Unknown
- Published
- 2024
- OpenAlex
- W6945015983
- Cited by
- 1
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 0.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) (submittedVersion)
- AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Economics of Agriculture and Food Markets
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Merger and Competition Analysis
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Agricultural economics and policies
- Keywords
- meatpacking industry, market concentration, competition, cattle prices, beef supply chain, competition policy, merger guidelines, farm income, agribusiness
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