This audio is generated automatically. Please let me know if you have any comments.
Deep-pocketed agricultural corporations have poured record amounts of money into lobbying and election campaigns over the past few years as lawmakers debate the farm bill and other policies that will shape the way food is grown in America.
Celebrity-linked organizations like Tyson Foods and Deere & Co. have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to political campaigns or partisan groups, with the majority of donations going to Republicans, according to OpenSecrets data. For example, the Tyson Foods subsidiary had spent $886,000 in the election cycle as of June 30, which is about 80% of what it has already spent on the 2020 election.
Although companies themselves cannot contribute to campaigns, donations can be PACEmployees and their families represent the industry’s political priorities. Farm-related spending on campaigns reached $124 million in the 2023-2024 election cycle, and data on donations after June 30 is not yet available.
Chicken producer Montaire Farms was the largest contributor this campaign cycle, with its affiliates spending more than $12 million on candidates and partisan groups. Other top spenders include Wonderful Co., one of the world’s largest agricultural companies, and Tyson Foods.
Agriculture is a major force in electoral politics
Agricultural corporate campaign contributions by election year
The trend of accelerating spending is expected to continue in 2024. The current election cycle is expected to be the costliest in history in nominal dollars, according to Open Secrets. However, when adjusted for inflation, overall spending is lower compared to 2020.
The higher campaign spending comes as agribusinesses spend more on lobbying on issues including the farm bill. A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists found that lobbying spending increased 22% from 2019 to 2023, with most of the money being spent in 2023.
Dr. Omanjana Goswami, one of the report’s lead authors, said in emailed comments to Agriculture Dive that the vast sums of money in politics highlight a “pay-to-play” system in which large donations influence policy decisions and debates. said.
“The people and organizations working to make our food and agricultural systems fairer and more sustainable do not have the resources or influence to compete with large agricultural corporations and industry groups, nor do they need to,” Goswami said.
Buy a ‘foot in the door’
Ben Liliston, director of rural strategy and climate change at the Agriculture and Trade Policy Institute, said campaign donations are an important part of maintaining access to influential lawmakers, and donations are typically seen as a way to “buy access.”
“There’s no question that donations will help us go one step further,” Lilliston said. “I will make sure to give you a meeting and make sure your point of view is heard and taken seriously.”
follow the money
Top Agribusiness Contributors for the 2024 Election Cycle
But campaign spending doesn’t always translate into political influence, according to Clare Brock, an assistant professor at Colorado State University and author of the book “Farmed Out: Agricultural Lobbying in a Polarized Congress.” Rather than focusing on electoral politics, many companies choose to spend money on lobbyists to get certain legislation passed.
A study by Brock with researchers Alexander Furnas of the University of Michigan and Tim LaPira of James Madison University found that the overlap between groups doing both lobbying and PAC contributions was only between 10% and 12% from 1998 to 2018. . Unpublished research suggests that this convergence has only decreased over the years.
“The top groups, like the most politically active groups, will both donate and lobby,” Brock said. “But for many groups, they will have a strategy of lobbying for specific provisions or policies.”
One reason spending has increased may be because the time it takes to pass legislation like the farm bill has lengthened significantly, Brock said. As Congress has become more polarized, lobbying costs have also become higher. Agricultural businesses spent a record $178 million on lobbying in 2023, with more than 1,300 lobbyists representing the sector, according to Open Secrets data.
Agriculture spends a lot of money to increase influence
Annual Agricultural Expenditures on Lobbying Activities
“For example, if the farm bill is delivered on time, we will know exactly when to start and end lobbying,” Brock said. “But more and more, this process just keeps extending and extending and extending, and that means we have to keep paying lobbyists.”
The need for deep pockets has made it difficult for small groups to exert influence, said IATP’s Lilliston, who advocates for sustainable agriculture and trade policies at the federal and state levels. Often, groups outside the industry struggle to gain traction for policies unless there is enough of a grassroots movement to “push the envelope.”
“The reforms you think are necessary can’t even be on the agenda,” Liliston said. “It’s hard to stand up to (Big Ag) if you’re not really well organized.”
