Consolidating Every Link in the Food Chain

“One of the Reagan administration’s lasting legacies is the dismantling of the regulatory system for ensuring fair and competitive markets. Since that time the failure to stop massive consolidation has allowed a handful of companies to control the entire food chain- from seeds, fertilizer, and implements to processing, distribution, and retail grocery chains. The largest twenty food companies exert tremendous control over food and farming, as both buyers of ingredients and sellers of product… Reversing this corporate tyranny and concentration is critical for creating a fair and sustainable food system.” -Wenonah Hauter, Foodopoly

I thought that this excerpt was important in the context of our readings this week about the big food industry. I appreciate Hauter’s ability to point to one major issue creating major problems: corporate consolidation and vertical integration. I agree with her that this is probably the main issue from which many more food systems issues stem and are integrated within. However, the question that we’ve continued to discuss this week remains, what should we do next to solve this issue?