Agribusiness

From seed companies and agro-chemical suppliersto shipping firms and food processers, a handful of actors are increasing their market share and their ability to shape food systems. Consolidation across the agri-food chain is having major impacts on the way companies innovate, as well as their ability to set conditions and prices in markets. Digitization, big data and blockchain technologies are transforming all aspects of the food chain. In this context, it is crucial to ask who is currently reaping the benefits from these changes, who shouldersthe risks, and how these developments benefit different food system actors.

Publications

All publications

April 2023 | Agribusiness

Global Governance

Who’s Tipping the Scales?

Our briefing note documents a history of the growing influence of corporations over our food, examines the power imbalances in the governance of food systems, and proposes transformative solutions to democratize food decision-making to serve the public interest.

October 2022 | Agroecology

Agribusiness

Global Governance

Smoke & Mirrors: Examining competing framings of food system sustainability

May 2022 | Agribusiness

Global Governance

Another Perfect Storm? How the failure to reform food systems has allowed the war in Ukraine to spark a third global food price crisis in 15 years, and what can be done to prevent the next one.

Our Special Report takes stock of the critical factors fanning the third food price crisis in 15 years – sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but fuelled by fundamental flaws in global food systems.

Read the special report ( EN | FR | ES )

March 2021 | Agribusiness

Global Governance

A Long Food Movement: transforming food systems by 2045

What if farming communities, food workers, environmentalists & consumer groups could join forces to hold multinational food companies to account? Our report with ETC Group argues we need a 25-year #LongFoodMovement.

Report | FAQs
Executive Summary ( EN | FR | ES )

June 2020 | Agroecology

Agribusiness

Global Governance

Money Flows: what is holding back investment in agroecological research for Africa?

In collaboration with Biovision and IDS, IPES-Food analyses the financial flows in food system research that go to sub-Saharan Africa. Our new data shows that only a fraction of agricultural research funding in Africa is being used to move food and farming systems towards greater sustainability.

Read the Full Report ( EN )
Read the Executive Summary ( EN | FR | ES | DE )

April 2020 | Agroecology

Health & Resilience

Agribusiness

Global Governance

COVID-19 and the Crisis in Food Systems

What are the impacts of COVID-19 on food systems? Why are we in the midst of this perfect storm? What can be done immediately to avert more damage to society and the economy? And what are the structural changes we now need to protect people and planet?

Read the Special Report ( EN | FR | ES )

October 2017 | Agribusiness

Too big to feed: Exploring the impacts of mega-mergers, consolidation and concentration of power in the agri-food sector

This report assesses the current state of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity across the food system, and identifies the risks arising from unprecedented consolidation at every node of the agri-food chain.

Read the full report ( EN )
Read the short version ( EN | ES )
Read the executive summary ( EN )

October 2017

Open letter to the European Commission re. Bayer-Monsanto Merger

Open letter from IPES-Food to Commissioner Vestager concerning Bayer AG's acquisition of Monsanto (case M.8084 notified to the Commission on 30 June 2017 under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 of 20 January 2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings).

Read the letter (EN)

September 2018

Too Big To Feed - Short Report

prepared by ETC Group

The 'Too Big to Feed Short Report' was developed by ETC Group, in partnership with IPES-Food. It summarizes the full report Too Big to Feed, published by IPES-Food in October 2017. The full report includes additional data and a more detailed analysis on the impact of the consolidation of the agri-food sector.

Read the shorter report (EN, ES)