White House Plan Offers $1 billion for smaller meat-industry producers

Washington, DC, January 3, 2022 – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released its Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain. The plan aims to address competition and fairness in the meat and poultry sector by dedicating $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to expand independent processing capacity.

While the ongoing pandemic did not create a vulnerable and unstable food system, it has certainly exposed long-existing problems with concentration that have been squeezing producers for years and have created barriers to entry for new producers. The “economies of scale” that have helped highly concentrated packers rake in record profits has cut the farmers share of the food dollar and helped to hollow out rural main street. The Administration’s plan would help decrease consolidation, improve worker conditions, support more resilient local and regional markets, and ensure farmers and ranchers can earn a fair price.