An Iowa farm advocacy group wants the state's U.S. senators to oppose a deal to allow one of the world's largest pork processors to buy large parts of a southeast Iowa hog supplier, a deal which would expand so-called "factory farming" in the state.

Brazil-based JBS Foods Group has agreed to buy parts of TriOak Foods, one of the nation's largest pork suppliers. TriOak already sells its hogs to JBS, but this sale would further integrate the two, and consolidate an already shrinking number of producers.

Barb Kalbach, board member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and a fourth-generation hog farmer, said consolidation is one more blow to small farmers and, in her view, the worst possible example of vertical integration.

"They own the pig. Farmers raise the pigs then the pigs go to the JBS packing plant. Then JBS sells what they pack to retailers across the country, grocery stores," Kalbach outlined. "Starts with the baby pig and goes clear to the dinner table. They own it. And the more they own, the more they control."

The group wants Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, to push to invoke the Packers and Stockyards Act, which was signed into law in 1921 to ensure effective competition and integrity in livestock, meat and poultry markets. Kalbach added her group has made the request in writing, but is concerned it will be ignored based on experience.

Between JBS and China-owned Smithfield farms, half of the overall beef and pork operations in the United States are foreign-owned, which Kalbach feels is not only anticompetitive, but anti-American. She pointed out the trend is not slowing down, and has been going in what she calls the "wrong direction" for the better part of 40 years.

"I think that should make people nervous," Kalbach remarked. "I don't know. Not only does it destroy individual markets for small farmers or family farmers, but it is also behind the 'emptying out' of rural Iowa, rural America."

Meatpacking companies contended deals like these allow them to become more efficient and gives them more control over the health and safety of the animals they produce and sell.

The U.S. Farm Bill is up for reauthorization, and Congress faces calls to avoid any delays so certain programs can keep helping farmers and consumers without losing momentum.

The bill, which is passed every five years, covers several areas tied to the nation's food system, including crop insurance, SNAP benefits and conservation efforts. In the past, some programs ground to a halt because lawmakers failed to meet the deadline.

Chuck Anderas, associate policy director at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, said in such situations, temporary spending keeps larger elements of the plan operating, but programs of less than $50 million are not as lucky.

"A lot of the programs that support our community are funded at under $50 million a year," Anderas pointed out. "A lot of those are research-focused things on sustainable ag."

Possible delays come as farmers face pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, are often a main point of Farm Bill debate, with GOP lawmakers sometimes calling for cuts or reforms. They are doing so again this time, although it is unclear how much it will impact negotiations. Other policy fights surrounding the bill are expected, too.

Anderas argued pausing research and outreach programs would be devastating for farmers and nonprofits as they try to make gains in addressing climate issues facing agriculture.

"There's a lot of big challenges on the horizon for agriculture," Anderas emphasized. "Climate change is making extremes of weather more difficult to deal with."

He added farmers and the groups they work with are trying to scale up solutions to make their land more resilient to prolonged droughts or flooding.

Groups such as Michael Fields also are trying to help producers take on more crop and livestock diversity, meaning consumers might not feel the pinch as much when there's a major catastrophe or market disruption.

The current Farm Bill is due to expire at the end of September.

In rural Georgia, hardworking farmers grapple with staying competitive in the global market, and some said they are hindered by limited broadband access.

The website BroadbandNow.com ranks Georgia 21st among states for affordable high-speed internet access, but wide swaths of the state are still without broadband service.

Susannah Cox Maddux, steering committee chair for the group Rural Voices Georgia, emphasized the need for enhanced connectivity. She said many in the ag industry still rely on satellite internet, because it is their only option.

"It's essential for farmers to follow commodity markets, to communicate with their customers, and to gain access to new markets around the world. I think often, people don't think about just how high-tech farming is. It is crucial."

In February, Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled a grant package of $455 million to help entice service providers to expand high-speed internet availability in 28 counties. Major providers have often said expansion into rural areas is not profitable enough.

At the end of 2021, the Georgia Tech Research Institute estimated 1.6 million people in the state still lacked high-speed internet access. Cox Maddux stressed the digital divide is one of the most pressing issues for rural communities, as they struggle to keep up with increasingly tech-driven business practices and maintain efficient operations.

"And we also know that without the continued effort to raise the profile around this issue -- and to raise our voices, and to raise awareness around this -- people can get left out, even though there are efforts being pushed," Cox Maddux explained.

She added the Rural Voices Georgia steering committee has made broadband access one of its top three public-policy priorities.


get more stories like this via email

With the cost of farmland up by more than 8% percent in North Carolina, the state's Black farmers are struggling to purchase additional acreage or jumpstart their farming dreams.

Demi Tucker, owner of Uyoga Farms and a fifth-generation Black farmer, grows mushrooms on her family's land in Steadman. She said most farmers she knows are leasing and looking to expand, but finding themselves competing with investors and corporations swooping up large tracts.

"If somebody has 23 acres to sell, they're going to sell it to the person who can buy out 23 acres and that half of an acre or an acre, which is what most people can afford starting off, " Tucker said.

According to Global AgInvesting, an estimated 26 to 35 billion dollars of farmland nationwide is owned by institutions or corporations.

Tucker pointed out after purchasing land, farmers also face additional costs to clear it, buy heavy machinery, and do soil and water testing. She said all of these obstacles add up for Black and Indigenous farmers who historically have faced discrimination qualifying for federal funding.

"There's a lot happening right now with the farm bill that's going to pass this year, a lot of advocacy going around as far as certain demands that we would like met so that more people of color can qualify for loans," Tucker added.

Over the past century nationwide, an estimated 98% of Black farmers were dispossessed through the denial of loans and credit, and through acts of violence and intimidation, according to Data for Progress.


get more stories like this via email