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Concentration in U.S. Meatpacking Industry and How it Affects Competition and Cattle Prices

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  • MacDonald, James M.

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • MacDonald, James M., 2024. "Concentration in U.S. Meatpacking Industry and How it Affects Competition and Cattle Prices," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, vol. 2024, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uersaw:341245
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.341245
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    Cited by:

    1. Clapp, Jennifer & Vriezen, Rachael & Laila, Amar & Conti, Costanza & Gordon, Line & Hicks, Christina & Rao, Nitya, 2025. "Corporate concentration and power matter for agency in food systems," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    2. Omid M Ardakani, 2026. "Minimax causal inference under tail heterogeneity," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 46(3), pages 1390-1391.
    3. repec:ebl:ecbull:eb-26-00949 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Twisha Asher, 2026. "Post-pandemic changes in household food expenditure and affordability: Heterogeneity by income," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 46(3), pages 1347-1360.
    5. GianCarlo Moschini & T. Jake Smith, 2026. "Spatial price competition and buyer power in the U.S. beef packing industry," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 108(3), pages 771-798, May.

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