Markets not working well provide an endless source of agricultural policy discussion. Not surprisingly, complaints of market failure, of imbalance of power and monopolistic (or monopsonistic) behaviour, are enticing and often involve the classic David and Goliath battle of the small business failing because of competition from larger competitors and of industries declining because of a flood of cheap imports. This issue of Insights looks at competition policy in 2020, drills down into implications for the dairy sector, and runs through some of the AFI’s previous work on the topic.
Published 9 Sep 2020
Articles about competition policy often tend to open with a statement along the lines of: Competition is central to the operation of markets, and fosters innovation, productivity and growth, all of which create wealth and reduce poverty. Even though that statement is definitive, it will be inevitably followed by a…