In just 18 pages, Agropoly shows how a handful of companies have come to dominate the agro-industries for:
• animal feed production: one third of agricultural land goes to produce animal feed;
• livestock breeding: in chicken breeding, for example, the top 4 companies have 99% market share of the genetics;
• seed production: the top 10 seed corporations have a 75% market share of the commercial market;
• commodity production, processing, trade and retail: the revenues of the three biggest supermarket corporations are larger than the GNP of many states;
• fertiliser and pesticide manufacture: the latter also controlled by seed corporations.
One result is that many local breeds and food crop varieties have already been lost to us and the decline continues.
This consolidation is relentless, with governments shaping policies to suit corporations and their investors, not citizens. Agropoly highlights the pressing need to act now, working with peasant farmers and small-scale food providers to develop inclusive and just food regimes that provide nutritious food for all.