Agriculture: Not just your mom-and-pop family farms anymore

Never mess with U.S. Agriculture!

In the U.S., the agriculture business has gained a reputation of mythic proportions. Its lobbying power is second to none, with the ability to truly push and pull legislation in whatever direction it wants. I’m not saying all members and senators are stooges of the Ag business, but they do maintain powerful contacts within the Beltway. According to the plethora of articles found online, (see below) the Ag business continues to dominate the lobbying business is terms of sheer power and longevity.

http://motherjones.com/environment/2009/11/betting-farm
http://www.grist.org/article/ethanol4/
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/indus.php?year=2009&lname=A&id=
Total for Agribusiness: $133,485,956
Total Number of Clients Reported: 438
Total Number of Lobbyists Reported: 1,204
(From opensecrets article)
http://www.northamericandevon.com/pdfs/02172010.pdf
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Pelosi-buys-off-agri-business-to-advance-climate-bill-7881538-49108077.html

Who are the major players of Agribiz?



1 Cargill
Minneapolis, MN 55440-9300 Map
International provider of food, agricultural & risk management products & services with a presence in 63 countries; headquartered in Minneapolis; activities: processing & distributing grain, supplying food ingredients, health products etc



2 Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)
4666 Faries Parkway, Decatur, IL 62525 Map
One of the world's largest agricultural processors of soybeans, corn, wheat & cocoa; headquartered in Decatur, Illinois; makes food ingredients, animal feed ingredients, renewable fuels (fuel ethanol, biodiesel), industrial chemicals etc



3 E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company (DuPont) NYSE: DD
1007 Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19898 Map
Global conglomerate whose activities include electronic & communication technologies, performance chemicals, coatings & floor technologies, safety & protection, & agriculture & nutrition; has offices in Wilmington (Delaware) & Geneva


4 CHS Inc
5500 Cenex Drive, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077 Map
Diversified energy, grains & foods company owned by farmers, ranchers & cooperatives; based in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; activities: grain marketing, food processing, petroleum refineries/ pipelines, marketing Cenex energy products etc


5 Land O'Lakes, Inc
One of America's leading farmer-owned cooperatives & a leading marketer of dairy-based products for consumers, foodservice professionals & food manufacturers; based in St Paul, Minnesota; products: butter, margarine, cheese, cream products etc


6 Monsanto Company
800 N. Lindbergh Blvd, St Louis, MO 63167 Map
Seeds & genomics, & agricultural productivity company headquartered in St Louis, Missouri; activities include biotechnology, breeding & genomics, crop protection products, garden herbicides etc; produces corn, cotton, soybeans, canola seeds etc


7 Dole Food Company, Inc
World's largest producer & marketer of fresh fruit, vegetables & fresh-cut flowers; based in Westlake Village, California; other products include packaged fruit, salads, juice, frozen fruit etc



8 Chiquita Brands International, Inc
250 East 5th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Leading international marketer & distributor of fresh & processed food products, including bananas, melon, grapes, citrus, peaches, pears, plums, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers etc; based in Cincinnati; products include fresh-cut fruit, juices etc


9 Perdue Farms Incorporated
31149 Old Ocean City Rd, Salisbury, MD 21804 Map
Company that provides food & agricultural products & services in more than 50 countries; third-largest poultry company in the US; based in Salisbury, Maryland; sells poultry to retail customers & food service companies, edible oils, lecithin etc



10 J.R. Simplot Company
999 Main Street, Boise, ID 83702 Map
Privately-held food & Agribusiness Corporation based in Boise, Idaho; one of the world's largest frozen-potato processors, one of the nation's largest beef-cattle producers, & a major agricultural-fertilizer manufacturer; employs 10,000 people.

One Word: Scary.
Part 2 coming when I get home