Corporate Concentration

Concentration in corporate power is the defining feature of today's global economy, with profound implications for livelihoods, well-being, the environment and human rights. ETC Group has long monitored the "Gene Giants" (who aggregate control over seeds, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, genomics and food processing and retailing). Today many of the same large corporations are touting the use of new technologies - including genomics, nanotechnology and synthetic biology - to transform biomass into high-value products or to manufacture materials "from the bottom up." They are moving from being - 'gene giants' to 'biomass-ters' or even 'matter moguls.'

Food Barons report cover art showing peasants resisting corporate digital giants
Episode 3 of 'Who will control the food system?' 17 Jan 2024
Food Barons report cover art showing peasants resisting corporate digital giants
Episode 2 of 'Who will control the food system?' 1 Sep 2023
Food Barons report cover art showing peasants resisting corporate digital giants
Episode 1 of 'Who will control the food system?' 29 Jun 2023
Food Barons 2022 report - cover art
Crisis Profiteering, Digitalization and Shifting Power 7 Sep 2022
The wrong kind of Food Systems Summit 23 Jul 2021
An illustration of a cow standing next to a high-tec farm house
In collaboration with Freehand Studio in Nairobi, we’re launching 'Big Brother is Coming to the Farm: the digital takeover of food', an animation about the #BattleForTheFutureOfFood. 12 Apr 2021
Small urban farm with blue earthquake fissure superimposed.
Who will control food and farming by the end of the decade? 16 Oct 2020