WASHINGTON — For every dollar Americans spend on Thanksgiving meals this year, farmers and ranchers will earn approximately 14.3 cents, according to National Farmers Union (NFU).
“Ordinarily, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with our loved ones and enjoy a big meal,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “But for many Americans, the cost of traditional holiday foods may simply be out of reach for some families.”
Even though consumers are paying more for food this year, almost none of that is being passed on to America’s family farmers and ranchers. Multiple waves of mergers and acquisitions during the last several decades have resulted in agriculture and food supply chains that are uncompetitive, fragile, and underpay farmers.
The farmer’s share of every dollar consumers spend on food has fallen from 50 percent in 1952 to less than 15 percent today.
“The National Farmers Union is fighting for stronger enforcement of antitrust laws and breaking up the corporate monopolies that use their size to unfairly take advantage of farmers and ranchers while forcing consumers to pay higher prices at the grocery store,” added Larew,
“Enough is enough; someone must stand up to these corporate monopolies destroying family farms and undermining our national food supply.”
NFU members are actively advocating for the following policy changes to support fair and transparent agriculture markets:
- Stronger enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA)
- Improving price discovery and ensuring fair and accurate market information
- Facilitating competition and more diverse market opportunities
- Reinvigorated antitrust enforcement
–National Farmers Union
