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Lawmakers Blast USDA Move Ending State Partnership Aimed at Food Market Competition

By  |  January 4, 2026
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A group of House Democrats known as the Monopoly Busters Caucus is criticizing the Trump administration for ending a federal-state partnership they say was designed to curb consolidation and rising prices in the food and agriculture sector. The caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania and Pat Ryan of New York, argues that the decision undermines efforts to promote competition and protect both farmers and consumers, according to The Guardian.

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    The criticism centers on the termination of the Agricultural Competition Partnership, a collaboration launched in July 2023 between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and attorneys general in 31 states and Washington, D.C. The initiative was intended to strengthen enforcement against anticompetitive practices in markets such as grocery retail, meatpacking and poultry processing. Per The Guardian, the program was framed by USDA as a way to address market structures that drive up prices while limiting options for producers and shoppers.

    Through the partnership, USDA committed $15 million in funding along with technical support to state attorneys general offices that often lack resources to pursue complex competition cases. According to The Guardian, those funds were used to improve coordination between federal and state enforcement agencies, support research and academic work, and help states conduct on-the-ground investigations into price gouging and other competition-related concerns.

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    USDA has said the initiative was designed to boost the capacity of state officials to analyze competition and consumer protection issues, while also strengthening supply chains that have shown vulnerability in recent years. The program also sought to improve information sharing between federal and state authorities, per The Guardian’s reporting on the department’s description of the effort.

    In a letter sent to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, members of the caucus pressed the administration to explain why the partnership was ended and how USDA plans to continue addressing consolidation in the food system. According to The Guardian, the lawmakers warned that consolidation has squeezed margins for family farmers and small businesses while contributing to higher prices at the checkout line.

    “Ending the partnership with state AGs threatens competition and is contrary to President Trump’s stated goals of lowering food prices, helping struggling independent farmers and promoting national security,” the caucus members wrote.

    They went on to argue that consolidation across food and agriculture markets remains a growing threat. “Consolidation in the food and agriculture markets is significant and remains a growing problem for farmers and consumers,” the lawmakers wrote. “In consolidated markets like food and agriculture, dominant firms are able to abuse their market power, cutting costs and underinvesting in workers, supply chains and key food infrastructure, forcing consumers and small businesses to pay higher prices and reducing choice and quality in the marketplace. As consolidation has accelerated, hundreds of thousands of independent farms have shuttered, hurting rural communities, limiting production and hindering food accessibility.”

    The caucus also demanded details on how USDA intends to promote competition going forward and whether it plans to offer emergency price relief to farmers, workers and consumers affected by rising costs, according to The Guardian.

    Source: Feedstuffs