For Immediate Release:
January 6, 2022
WASHINGTON—The White House echoed the sentiments of 57 national, state, and regional organizations that spoke up on behalf of farmers and ranchers in their #FairShake Week of Action campaign. In a January 3, 2021 address at the “White House Roundtable on Promoting Competition and Reducing Prices in the Meat Industry,” President Biden himself demanded that farmers and ranchers get a “Fair Shake” (Biden speaking at 1:18:33). That same day, the White House released the Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain.
In September 2021, the #FairShake Week of Action included diverse organizations representing the interests of labor, environment, public health, community agriculture, animal welfare, and farmers. The participants campaigned for greater competition and less consolidation in agriculture. This coordinated week included a robust social media campaign and culminated in the delivery of an organizational sign-on letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack.
The administration’s action plan acknowledges the #FairShake advocates’ concerns that unchecked consolidation has resulted in the standardization of abusive and exploitative practices including unfair contracts, devising deceptive pay schemes for farmers, and creating inhumane working conditions in processing plants.
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