Iowa Farmers and State Legislators say Keep Koch Industries Out

Iowa Farmers and State Legislators say Keep Koch Industries Out

By Ida V. Eskamani and Kendra Kimbirauskas

“Farmers were really on the frontlines fighting back in history…. Antitrust laws of the past were really designed to make sure our markets were open, fair, and competitive. In the same way we were rejecting monarchs in our political sphere, we were also rejecting monopolies in our commercial and economic sphere. Ultimately consolidation of power was seen as a threat, whether it be in the political or economic sphere.” -FTC Chair Lina Khan, opening remarks

In Iowa this time of the year, if the weather is decent, farmers will be on their tractors planting crops. But on a windy spring day this past weekend, over 100 farmers paused their planting to join their neighbors and other farmers from across Iowa and the Midwest to welcome the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair, Lina Khan to Nevada, Iowa.

The listening session was organized by SiX in collaboration with Iowa State Representatives J.D. Scholten, Elinor Levin, and Megan Srinivas, who have been champions for Iowa’s independent family farmers, and the Iowa Farmers Union (IFU). The intent of the event was for farmers to share with the Chair what the multinational corporation Koch Industries’ recent acquisition of Iowa Fertilizer Company means for their farms, families, and futures. For more background on the potential merger, click here.

FTC Listening Session cropped — *Photo by Kendra Kimbirauskas, State Innovation Exchange.*

In December 2023, the Dutch chemical company OCI Global announced the $3.6 billion sale of Iowa Fertilizer Company to Koch Industries. Koch Industries is one of the largest multinational companies in the world, their influence deeply felt in America’s economy and democracy. If they are allowed to buy the Iowa Fertilizer Company it will merge with one of its five domestic competitors and gain further dominance in the U.S. fertilizer market. This merger is cause for a lot of concern for many Iowa farmers, which they shared with Chair Khan.

At the event, the farmers’ testimony was powerful with details of how corporate consolidation is impacting their bottom line more and more each year. Many described grim situations such as when commodity prices increase and they receive a better price for their crops, their suppliers would also raise the costs for fertilizer, soil amendments, and supplies.

Dwindling competition is driving up prices and making it impossible for young farmers to compete against monopolies that leverage state policy towards an unfair advantage via incentives, deregulation and rising costs. One farmer shared that she was extremely worried that due to the continued rising costs she and her husband would have nothing to pass on to her sons who wanted to farm. As an example, she shared that last year her family spent $20,000 on new tractor tires, the same amount of money that her parents had paid for 80 acres of prime farmland in the 1960s.

IFU President Aaron Heley Lehman provided an overview of the lay-of-the land of the future of Iowa agriculture and shared that he believed the acquisition of Iowa Fertilizer to the multinational Koch Industries would harm the future of Iowa’s farming families and rural communities because Iowa farmers would continue to be squeezed by their suppliers.

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew traveled to the event from West Virginia and shared that what is happening in Iowa is a microcosm for what NFU farmers and ranchers have been up-against across the country as less competition in the market is making it increasingly difficult for farmers and ranchers to survive. He reminded the group that capitalism without competition is exploitation.

Iowa state legislators stood with farmers and community members in expressing unease over the potential merger. In traveling his district, Rep. Scholten shared that concerns about lack of competition in agriculture is one of the top worries that his farmer constituents share with him. He said that monopolistic behavior by agribusiness companies is squeezing both farmers and consumers in his district, making in increasingly difficult for the next generation to be able get into agriculture at a time when a significant portion of Iowa’s farmland will be changing hands over the next ten years as the average age of Iowa’s farmers is nearly 60 years old.

Other officials attending the event with Chair Khan included former Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who was the longest serving Attorney General in United States history and Iowa Farm Service Agency Executive Director Matt Russel who farms with his husband in Marion County, Iowa.

Chair Khan expressed her gratitude to SiX and our partners for organizing the listening session and providing a forum for the farmers to share their stories, views and experiences. She said that the information gleaned from the event in Iowa would be used to help the FTC determine if they would challenge the merger.

Before the listening session, event organizers hosted Chair Khan for a local farm tour– so she could see firsthand the impact corporate consolidation has on small and large farms alike.

The FTC is an essential federal agency, tasked with enforcing the nation’s antitrust and consumer protection laws. As Chair of the FTC, Lina Khan has reinvigorated antitrust in the country, prioritizing competition in the economy and fairness for consumers, workers, and local businesses. Under Chair Khan’s leadership, the agency has taken on corporate giants– from monopolies in agriculture, tech companies, grocery chains, healthcare, and private equity.

FTC Panel — From left to right: IA Rep. Elinor Levin, IA Rep. Megan Srinivas, IA Rep. J.D. Scholten, FTC Chair Lina Khan, IFU President Aaron Heley Lehman, and NFU President Rob Larew. Photo by Kendra Kimbirauskas, State Innovation Exchange.

To learn more about SiX’s agriculture and economic justice work, click here and here.

Black Women Legislators Leading in Agriculture Policy

Historically, agricultural policy has been made in spaces dominated by rural land-owning, white, male, and conservative voices. That includes state legislatures, where fewer than five percent of legislators are Black women. Far too often, there are limited opportunities for Black women legislators to be at the forefront of policy conversations in agriculture or related legislative committees. That has to change.

SiX hosted this panel with four Black women state legislators who are leading the conversation to address the vast injustices that have been endured by Black and brown communities in the field of agriculture. Hear about their work to make agriculture more inclusive and change who gets to pass agriculture policy.

Panelists:

Delaware Senator Marie Pinkney
Ohio Representative Juanita Brent
North Carolina Senator Natalie Murdock
Illinois Representative Sonya Harper
Moderator: Lauren Bealore, Director of Democracy, SiX

SiX Takeaways:

For generations, agriculture policy impacting Black, brown, and Indigenous communities has been made in rural white, male-dominated spaces. But Black women legislators are stepping into leadership roles on agriculture committees and creating change in the urban and rural communities they represent.

Agriculture is the biggest industry in many states, yet progressives too often don’t prioritize it. Policy-making in the agriculture industry is a huge concern for Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. Everyone eats — so we all have to care about food access, where our food comes from, and how it’s being handled. Much of that work starts at the state level.

In many Black and brown communities, farming has been gentrified, monopolized, and appropriated — and the same is true in agriculture committees. The farming practices in the farm-to-table and regenerative agriculture movements have origins in Afro and Indigenous communities and cultures. Despite this, many of the issues Black and brown communities face are not reflected in agriculture and food policy-making.

Agriculture policy is at the intersection of many other issues in Black and brown communities, including equity, racism, economics, and health. The future of Black and brown communities depends on agriculture in many ways. Agriculture is the number one job producer in some states and effective and equitable agriculture policy is a way for Black and brown communities to create jobs and build a sustainable economy while providing healthy food for community members.

Black women legislators have had to work for years to educate white-male-dominated agriculture committees about the agricultural issues impacting their communities and to center Black and brown voices. For some, this education (about food deserts, urban farming, food access issues, and so much more) has laid the foundation to be able to tackle issues like race and equity when working toward policy solutions.

There are many opportunities for Black women legislators to engage in agriculture policy issues that impact their communities. The panelists encouraged others to fight to be on the committees that oversee agriculture policy in their states. These legislators are disrupting the space and centering the voices and needs of their Black and brown communities while doing it. Join SiX’s CROP and Democracy cohorts for support along the way.

Additional Resources:

Join SiX's Cohort for Rural Opportunity and Prosperity (CROP) and work with legislators from across the country on these critical issues

Become a SiX Democracy Champion

Meet the Black Women Driving New Ag Policy (Civil Eats Article)

Farmer Equity Act: A Policy to Improve Access for Farmers of Color in Your State

Bringing the Justice for Black Farmers Act to the States

Accessing ARP funds for farmers

Agriculture is Not Just A Rural Issue

This interview is based on responses from a tweet chat that took place on April 28, 2021. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

What experiences shaped your understanding of the importance of agriculture?

Sen. Kim Jackson (GA): As a sixth-generation Black farmer, I think about agriculture every day when I do farm chores! I raise goats, bees, ducks, and chickens and all kinds of vegetables. And, I eat food every day!

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): My grandma grew up in the mountain border of North Carolina & Tennessee. Raising livestock & planting row crops were a way of life for her. I’m grateful she passed those skills to me, and now I get to pass it on to my daughter growing our own veggies in the backyard.

Rep. Rebecca Mitchell (GA): At first: a square baler without a kicker. Loading 50- and 100-pound feed sacks at the mill. Outdoor water spigots in the winter in New York. Fiberglass fence posts (never. ever. again).

Later: working at the dairy farm next door. Fitting sheep at shows.

Professionally: ambulatory rotations in veterinary school and analyzing milk quality and pathogens from dairy farms.

Rep. Julie von Haefen (NC): Growing up in Iowa, I saw firsthand how agriculture can be an integral part of the economy, our community and our environment. My house was on the edge of a cornfield and detasseling corn was the premier summer job for teenagers!

Agriculture issues range from food insecurity to soil health—what are some of the agriculture issues in your district?

Sen. Natalie Murdock (NC): Food insecurity is an issue in my senate district. 16.5% of people in my county are food insecure, that’s over 45,000 people. Over 12,000 children are food insecure.

Rep. Julie von Haefen (NC): We don’t have a lot of farms, but urban agriculture is becoming more important! Urban farming is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around urban areas—an important tool to ensure our communities have access to fresher and healthier foods!

Sen. Rosemary Bayer (MI): My district spans a wide array of urban, suburban and rural areas. While we don’t have much farming in the district anymore, soil as a vital living system is important to all of us. From large rural farms to urban gardens, we all need healthy soil! Constituents all over the state & my district suffer from food insecurity and Covid has only made this worse. In addition to sustainable farming across the state, local sustainable urban and suburban gardens can help with food insecurity.

Sen. Kim Jackson (GA): In District 41, like many places in Georgia, people struggle with food insecurity. And for folks growing food in the city—often to address this very issue!—there can be many roadblocks.

I'm encouraged by efforts to bring fresh food to more people and support new growers. We need collaboration across sectors—and at all levels of government!—to decrease barriers to healthy food and urban agriculture.

Agriculture and the environment go hand in hand.
North Carolina State Rep. Julie von Haefen
Tweet

Tell us about an agriculture, food, or rural issue you are working on in your state.

Sen. Kim Jackson (GA): I serve on the Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee. I'm working to support Black farmers across the state of Georgia and bring fresh, healthy food to those who need it most.

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): As a member of the Ag appropriations committee I’m working to make sure the preservation programs are funded and also fighting for improved broadband penetration so farmers can modernize, be more efficient, and so kids know they can farm and be connected.

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with veterans who have turned to farming as a career and therapy for post-military life. We have a responsibility to help and encourage small family farms that have been the cornerstone of North Carolina’s agricultural economy for generations. I’d like to see veteran farmers as a substantial part of those small farms.

A Vendor is Selling Produce at Farmers Market in Clayton, North Carolina — A farmer's market in Clayton, North Carolina

How can agriculture be part of the solution to climate change?

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): Incentivizing sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture is not only a smart long-term policy decision for farmers, but it’s much better for our environment as well. To be successful, agriculture must be a significant focus of climate justice.

Sen. Natalie Murdock (NC): As a previous soil and water supervisor, I know how soil health is key to combating climate change. Here in North Carolina we continue to work on robust soil health plans and need to fund regenerative agriculture programs.

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): Farmers love the land they work and want to keep it healthy so they can grow our food. Creating incentives to reduce fertilizers, stormwater runoff, and adopt more efficient irrigation tech helps. For more about local food growers visit the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Remember, what you put into the air and ground travels. It’s never just about our own gardens or backyards. We are a world community.
Sen. Rosemary Bayer
Tweet

What do you wish more people knew about agriculture?

Rep. Julie von Haefen (NC): Agriculture and the environment go hand in hand. We must pay attention to how our North Carolina hog and poultry farms are operating and affecting the communities around them, and how they may be harmful to water and air.

Creating policy that benefits and protects both agriculture and the environment is important.

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): One common misconception about agriculture is that all farmers are white. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As of 2017, North Carolina had nearly 2,100 black producers. We rely on minority farmers, namely Black farmers.

Rep. Brian Turner (NC): Agriculture is the #1 driver of North Carolina’s economy. We are #1 in the U.S. in sweet potatoes and soybeans, #2 in hogs.

Agriculture is bipartisan with rural and urban support. Most North Carolina farms are small family operations hoping the next generation will take over. We have a duty to help. No farms, no food.

Farmworker picking yellow peppers on agriculture field

How can people engage with agriculture issues beyond Earth Month?

Rep. Julie von Haefen: Contact your state legislators and sign up for our legislative updates! Sharing your priorities with your elected officials goes a long way towards advancing sound environmental and agricultural policies.

Sen. Kirk deViere (NC): If you live in North Carolina, you likely interact with agriculture much more than you realize. After all, agriculture is our #1 industry! It’s up to us to make sure that we continue to support the agricultural industry while fighting climate change.

Sen. Rosemary Bayer (MI): We all need to be conscious of good environmental practices – in pest management, water management, air and soil health and more. Remember, what you put into the air and ground travels. It’s never just about our own gardens or backyards. We are a world community. We have one planet and we need to work together to protect not only our own land, state and country, but our entire planet.

Farmer Equity Act: A Policy to Improve Access for Farmers of Color

Historically, farmers and ranchers who are Black, Indigenous or people of color have faced systemic discrimination from state and federal agriculture institutions.

Racist policies have resulted in farmers of color being denied access to capital and ultimately losing land while historically being underserved by government agencies. These policies have created a ripple impact over the decades and have resulted in farmers of color not receiving the same resources as their white counterparts. In the 1990s, the United States Department of Agriculture recognized socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as an officially distinct category. While this effort was a step in the right direction, for many farmers of color state agency resources remain unobtainable. In an effort to better serve their farmers of color, advocates and legislators partnered in California to pass the Farmer Equity Act, which created policies at the State Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure that their state agricultural agencies are accounting for farmer equity throughout the agency.

Now, three years after the bill was enacted into law a new department has been developed to ensure its implementation. Along the way there have been some challenges, some successes and a lot of lessons learned that may be of interest to other states considering similar action.

Participants:

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, California State Assembly
Representative Sonya Harper, Illinois General Assembly
Thea Rittenhouse, Farm Equity Adviser, California Department of Food and Agriculture
Chanowk Yisrael, Chief Seed Starter, The Yisrael Urban Family Farm

COVID Resources: Food Systems and Agriculture

Covid-19 demonstrated that the corporate food supply chain is one crisis away from failing, which puts communities at risk of being food insecure and could cause barriers for local farmers working to address the food needs of their community.

In order to ensure that communities are resilient in their ability to access food during a crisis, legislators should work to ensure that there is a sound regional and/or local alternative food supply chain with a plan to get food to those who need it while also ensuring that food and farm workers are adequately protected in their workplaces.

Resources

Support for Farmers

Appropriate additional funds for their agriculture community. Here are bills from Vermont and North Carolina and Utah.
- Appropriate additional resources for farm safety, rural mental health and farm crisis services. Here is what Minnesota has done.
- Include small independent farmers in any small business aid like this bill from New York did.

Local Food Infrastructure

Designate farmer's markets as essential local service providers. Here's a list of states that have done this.
- Provide opportunities for increased local meat infrastructure. Oregon, North Carolina, New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, Wyoming have all been working on bills to bolster local meat production to service small and independent farmers who are providing meat for their local communities.
- Create working groups to assess food security and a local food supply to bolster community resiliency. New York and Utah have both done this.

Food Security

Use new flexibility in SNAP to respond to COVID-19 challenges. Here is an overview of what states can do and here is what New Jersey did to increase access to SNAP benefits.
- Provide additional resources for food access, particularly to underserved communities. Here is one example from Minnesota. Mississippi attempted a bill to include reimbursements to local municipalities for a variety of services including food delivery to senior citizens and other vulnerable populations. Pennsylvania has a bill that includes resources for a food hotline, food banks and additional SNAP benefits.
- Provide additional support for Food Pantries. Here is what Colorado did and North Carolina appropriated additional funds as part of an omnibus package to be split equally among food banks.
- Provide grants to local organizations to purchase local food (this helps farmers too). An example from Minnesota.
- Provide emergency food assistance to undocumented persons like California did.
- Allow school buses to use the eight-light system when making food deliveries to families with school-aged children, as was done in Vermont.

Farm & Food Worker Safety

Appropriate funds for farmers to purchase PPE for farm and food workers. See this bill from New Jersey.
- Ensure that state information related to farm worker safety is communicated in both Spanish and English. Here is what Vermont did and this is the bill being considered in California.
- An Executive order from California Governor Newsom requiring paid sick leave for workers, while Michigan Governor Gretchen Withmer issued an Executive Order on migrant housing camps during COVID-19. .

Become a part of CROP: SiX's Agriculture Cohort

We wondered: Do SiX legislators want or need program-specific resources to help engage in rural, agricultural or local foods policy?

Our staff criss-crossed the country, traveled to your states, spoke with some of you over the phone, connected with your colleagues, reached out to your partners and the verdict is in:

SiX legislators not only need, but are EAGER to have resources developed specifically to support you as a progressive champion to engage in rural and agriculture policy-making.

So we created CROP: the Cohort for Rural Opportunity and Prosperity, and we're providing you with those resources. Whether you are a policy maker who is an expert and passionate about rural and agricultural issues or if you are brand new to these topics looking to learn more and connect with others working in the same space, we invite you to join the Cohort for Rural Opportunity and Prosperity (CROP).

Join CROP: SiX's Agricultural Cohort

CROP is an internal group that is being developed in coordination with steering committee of amazing legislators (who you'll hear more about in coming days!) to ensure that the resources developed meet the needs on the ground in states. This Cohort is intended to be a safe space for you to learn, connect and get the support you need to be a progressive champion for regenerative agriculture, soil health, local food economies, family farms and everything food and "farmy" in between!

By joining this new and growing cohort, you will have access to issue-specific resources, information about happenings in other states, the opportunity to connect with elected officials in other areas doing similar work, and you will have the opportunity to connect with farmers, ranchers and partner organizations who you likely are not always hearing from. We will also be hosting opportunities that bring together partners and legislators for shared-learning and deeper strategic collaboration.

Join us!