E98: The Corruption of America's Food Industry: Austin Frerick Explains

Austin Frerick exposes the monopolistic grip on America’s food system and the consequences for quality, health, labor, and democracy in his new book Barons.

Guest bio: Austin Frerick is a Yale University fellow, former tax economist at the U.S. Treasury Department, and co-chair of the Biden campaign’s agriculture and antitrust policy committee. He is the author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry.

Topics covered:

• How monopolies dominate each sector of the food industry (hogs, grains, dairy, berries, etc.)
• The illusion of choice through brand consolidation
• Driscoll’s "Nike model" of produce control
• Walmart’s dominance and corporate consolidation
• Offshoring, cartel control, and labor exploitation in produce
• Agricultural automation, data consolidation, and AI
• Junk science, checkoff programs, and academic corruption
• Obesity, the farm bill, and cheap corn-based food
• Monopoly resistance, antitrust reform, and the legacy of Upton Sinclair
• Cultural reform through schools, local farming, and civic engagement

📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/02B0rCgJPPU

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
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