Economic concentration and the Food Value Chain: Legal and Economic Perspectives. Chapter 6 in Lianos I., Ivanov A., Davis D. (ed.). Global Food Value Chains and Competition Lawкнига
Аннотация:Chapter 6 examines the rise of concentration in the food value chain, first as a side-effect of the technological transformation of agricultural production, and second as a result of the various merger waves that have occurred during the last three decades. It provides a concise analysis of the degree of concentration in various segments of the food value chain, noting that the trend has been an important increase of concentration. The authors nevertheless note that the causal link between the rise of concentration and price effects remains unclear, and that competition authorities have relied instead in more elaborate theories of harm, than simple structuralism. However, firms’ strategies in the food value chain change and as farmers get locked in larger agri-tech ecosystems, competition authorities become increasingly aware that focusing on price effects in specific product markets may not be the only dimension they should focus on. The food industry is also important from a social perspective, and public authorities increasingly take into account broader public policy concerns, such as the struggle against climate change, the protection of biodiversity and systemic crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This complex context calls for a public policy response which breaks with the more traditional approaches of acting only within the boundaries of the different policy fields.
