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

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.

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 )

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 ) 

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 ) 

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 (ENES)

Media

All media
October 2021

OPINION | The UN’s Big Climate Summit Is Ignoring a Giant Red Flag

Mother Jones

September 2021

Why many food experts don’t want a new international body for food science

Grist

September 2021

OPINION | UN summit stays silent on root causes of our failing food system

Reuters

September 2021

OPINION | Giant Meat and Dairy Companies Are Dominating the Plant-Based and Cellular Meat Market

Civil Eats

September 2021

OPINION | The Corporate Capture of the UN Food Summit

Project Syndicate

August 2021

PODCAST | Do we need an IPCC for food?

Farm Gate

April 2021

INTERVIEW | Pat Mooney: “It’s More A Call To ‘Armies’ Than Arms” on ‘A Long Food Movement’

Arc2020

April 2021

OPINION | Six Months to Prevent a Hostile Takeover of Food Systems, and 25 Years to Transform Them

Common Dreams

March 2021

‘Big Ag has not delivered’: Food security under threat from agribusiness giants, warns report

Food Navigator

February 2021

OPINION | Monopolies In the Food System Make Food More Expensive and Less Accessible

Civil Eats

December 2020

OPINION | Governments must lead the charge in agroecology

Devex

October 2020

EU net-zero aim 'in tatters' as lawmakers fail to shift farm rules, critics charge

REUTERS

September 2020

OPINION | For sustainable agriculture in West Africa, let’s leave our echo chambers

African Arguments

September 2020

L'Afrique, pionnier mondial de l'agroécologie

CommodAfrica

September 2020

West Africa’s path to resilience and SDGs through agroecology

KENYA BROADCASTING CORPORATION (kbc)

August 2020

US Groups Invest Billions in Industrial Ag in Africa. Experts Say It’s not Ending Hunger or Helping Farmers

Civil Eats

July 2020

REGARDEZ | Agriculture en Afrique : des donateurs intéressés ?

France 24

July 2020

OPINION | Need for a radical shift in Africa’s agricultural funding models

THE STAR (KENYA)

June 2020

Agroecology Strengthens Farmers’ Resilience But Highly Underfunded in Africa

INTER PRESS SERVICE (IPS)

June 2020

LISTEN | Why sustainable farming is losing out in Africa

Deutsche Welle

June 2020

Fondation Gates : les investissements dans la recherche agricole en Afrique critiqués

Le Monde

June 2020

Industrial agriculture receiving bulk of Africa’s agricultural development funding

THE STANDARD (KENYA)

May 2020

Tribune | Agriculture et système alimentaire en Afrique dans un contexte post-Covid-19

RFI

May 2020

Covid-19: Global food supply on a razor's edge

France 24

April 2020

The food supply chain is not yet in danger— but the workers who keep us fed are

The Intercept

April 2020

Empty Grocery Shelves and Rotting, Wasted Vegetables: Two Sides of a Supply Chain Problem

InsideClimate News

March 2020

Op-ed by IPES-Food's Olivier De Schutter and Olivia Yambi

FOOD TANK

March 2020

Olivier De Schutter comments on opaque preparations for UN Food Systems Summit

The Guardian

January 2019

"Des Bauern wichtigstes Gut" – "Wenn es so wäre!"

Die Zeit | Debate between Olivier De Schutter and Helmut Schramm

January 2019

L'Union européenne reste dans une approche low cost de l'alimentaire

L'Echo | Interview Olivier De Schutter

May 2018

Rebooting food: Finding new ways to feed the future

Reuters | Thin Lei Win

May 2018

Campaigners fear Latin America is rolling back on eco-farming promises

Reuters

October 2017

Farmers squeezed as big agribusinesses get too big says expert group

Farm Online Australia | Andrew Marshall

October 2017

Experts panel warns: big mergers will negatively affect our food system

Slow Food Europe

October 2017

Agrifood mergers bad for farmers, experts warn

Euractiv | Paola Tamma

October 2017

Food Experts’ Report Says Agri-Food Corporations Cornering Food Chains

Latin American Herald Tribune

October 2017

Entre el hambre, la inteligencia de datos y el arroz

El Comercio | Xavier Basantes

October 2017

Des entreprises trop grandes pour nourrir l’humanité

La Libre | Camille De Marcilly

October 2017

Mega-mergers will squeeze farmers, push up food prices, experts warn

Reuter | Alex Whiting

October 2017

Expertos acusan a multinacionales de querer controlar la cadena alimentaria

La Vanguardia | EFE

October 2017

Hidden cost of feeding grain to farm animals to hit $1.32tn a year

The Guardian | Bibi van der Zee

May 2017

Decoding Diversity in the Food System: Wheat and Bread in North America

Phil Howard

January 2017

Modern agriculture cultivates climate change – we must nurture biodiversity

The Guardian | Olivier De Schutter & Emile Frison

January 2017

The Increasingly Shaky Foundations of Industrial Agriculture

Food & Farming Discussion Lab

October 2016

Farming mega-mergers threaten food security, say campaigners

The Guardian | John Vidal