WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Farmers Union (NFU) this week launched Fairness for Farmers, a campaign fighting for stronger enforcement of antitrust laws and breaking up the corporate monopolies that unfairly take advantage of farmers and consumers. 

With the Biden administration issuing an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, now is the time to build momentum for competitive markets and fairness across the agriculture industry, according to NFU President Rob Larew.

“We are all buoyed by President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on ‘Promoting Competition in the Marketplace’ — a commitment from his administration to restore fairness to our economy,” Larew said. “This movement is about capturing this moment, further educating our members and consumers, and harnessing the grassroots energy to create change.”  

NFU is calling for these solutions:

● Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) reform

● Improving price discovery and ensuring fair and accurate market information

● Facilitating competition and more diverse market opportunities

● Reinvigorated antitrust enforcement.

Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden and members joined farmers from throughout the country on a campaign launch event Sept. 22, during which Larew traced the effort back to the roots of Farmers Union. 

“Farmers Union started in 1902 because farmers were at the mercy of corporations and were seeking to restore a free and fair market,” Larew said. “Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the same place today. The Fairness for Farmers campaign endeavors to curtail consolidation in agriculture and bust the monopolies that hurt farmers and consumers.” 

“The effects of consolidation in agriculture can be seen across the countryside, from empty barns to hurting Main Streets,” said Von Ruden. “Concentration in agriculture has been squeezing farmers for years, and we can see it in the rapid farm loss witnessed throughout the past decade. Farmers have been squeezed by the cost of rising inputs and have watched corporations rake in record profits as their neighbors go bankrupt. It’s time that farmers and consumers stand together to fight for the food system they want for future generations.” 

The Fairness for Farmers campaign is fighting for an economy that rewards hard work and ensures fair agricultural markets by:

● Encouraging farmers and ranchers to share videos of their stories online,

● Building national coalitions to support lawmakers and regulators in the anti-trust space to fight for strengthening our pro-competition laws and regulations, and

● Educating lawmakers, the media and the American people about our broken food system that allows monopolies to cheat farmers while charging consumers higher prices at the grocery store.

The campaign encourages Americans to contact their senators and representatives in Congress as well as the Biden administration to call for concrete steps to curtail consolidation in agriculture.

“I do believe we are in for a fight,” Larew said. “The giants who dominate our food and agriculture industry are not going to be toppled without a struggle, but Farmers Union members are not afraid of a fight and are ready to stand up for fairness.”

The Wisconsin Farmers Union works to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and rural communities. WFU is a membership-based organization. Learn more and join at www.wisconsin

farmersunion.com and follow WFU on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.