On April 6, the Sun Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled the Local Food for Schools program, along with almost $3 million in funds to Maine. This (likely illegal) action will hurt Maine’s farmers, schools and kids. But why do Maine farmers need government help to sell their products competitively? The fact is that every part of the U.S. agriculture system is run by big, concentrated firms whose practices starve small farmers and consumers.

Our local farmers are not bad at business. Rather, the deck is stacked against them because monopolies control prices and access to goods across the industry. The price of eggs did not hit a record high solely because of bird flu. Every part of the supply chain, from hatching chicks to the eggs themselves, is controlled by a few big corporations that have not rebuilt their flocks and now enjoy record profits.

Four frozen potato producers control 98% of the market and collude to raise the cost of fries, while also having leverage to harm farmers by dictating the terms of sale. When a program like Local Food for Schools is canceled, it is effectively a giveaway to these large corporations at the expense of our local farmers.

Distrust of monopolies that shutter small businesses and raise prices spans party lines. When we hear about a new Trump policy, we should ask ourselves who benefits from it. In most cases, it benefits concentrated power. We don’t need kings in America, not in the Oval Office and not in the boardroom.

Matthew Jones
Auburn