Fighting the food barons
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Iowa's food scene could be like Italy's if more small and mid-sized farmers could get support, author Austin Frerick argues in a new book.
Why it matters: "Rural Iowa ... is producing the most wealth it's ever produced, but none of that money is staying there," Frerick, a Yale University antitrust expert and Cedar Rapids native, tells Axios.
Driving the news: In his new book, "Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry," Frerick examines how companies like JBS, Walmart and Driscoll's have monopolized the country's food industry and pushed smaller farmers out.
By the numbers: An Iowa State report shows large-scale commercial farms in the state doubled in size between 2011-21, while small farms decreased by 27% over that same period.
State of play: To help decentralize Iowa farms, Frerick advocates for federal intervention to break up "meat monopolies," he says.
- He also supports scrapping the farm bill, which incentivizes the overproduction of corn and soybeans, he says.
Zoom in: Instead, Frerick argues Iowa's rural towns could encourage agro-tourism, especially as more people travel for good, locally-sourced food.
- Hogs in confinement should return to the countryside, he says. That would reduce pollution and improve their meat quality.
- Local entities should also focus on local procurement — schools and colleges could source milk from Iowa dairy farms and provide a stable source of income.
The intrigue: Decentralizing farms may seem like a big step, but it's actually towards something "very traditional," Frerick says.
- "What we have now is radical."
The other side: Meatpackers, including the CEO's of Tyson and JBS, testified before Congress in 2022 and denied any anti-competitive practices.
- Some Republican lawmakers at the time also defended them, noting they provide "invaluable service and do so with incredible efficiency," according to Politico.
What's next: Frerick is speaking at Ames Public Library on Saturday at 10:30am.