Sec. 202. Duties of the Commission
345 words·~2 min read·
/bill/115/hr/6800/ih/section-202A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Commission shall be responsible for examining the nature, the causes, and consequences of concentration in America’s agricultural economy in the broadest possible terms. The study shall include an examination of the following matters: The nature and extent of concentration in the food and agricultural sector, including food production, manufacturing, transportation, processing, distribution, marketing, retailing, and farm inputs such as machinery, fertilizer, and seeds. Current trends in concentration of the food and agricultural sector and what this sector is likely to look like in the near and longer term future.
The effects of rising concentration on suppliers and farmers, including independent and contract farmers, with respect to— competition in markets for their products and services; income and benefit levels; income distribution; income volatility; and other material benefits. The impacts of this concentration upon rural communities, rural economic development, and the natural environment. The impacts of concentration in the seed industry on genetic diversity in farm fields and any related impacts on food security.
The impacts of this concentration upon food shoppers, including the reasons that low farm prices have not resulted in corresponding drops in supermarket prices. Whether farming is approaching a scale that is larger than necessary from the standpoint of productivity. The effect of current laws and administrative practices in supporting and encouraging this concentration. Whether the existing antitrust laws provide adequate safeguards against, and remedies for, the impacts of concentration upon family farms, the communities they comprise, and the food shoppers of this Nation.
Accurate and reliable data on the national and international markets shares of multinational agribusinesses, and the portion of their sales attributable to exports. Barriers that inhibit entry of new competitors into markets for the processing of agricultural commodities, such as the meat packing industry. The extent to which developments, such as packer ownership of livestock, formula pricing, marketing agreements, production contracting, forward contracting, and vertical integration tend to give processors, agribusinesses, integrators, and other buyers of agricultural commodities additional market power over farmers and suppliers in local markets.
Such related matters as the Commission determines to be important.