First published 2015
Christopher Leonard spent over ten years reporting on America's largest meat corporations, including four years covering agribusiness for the Associated Press. In this comprehensive investigation, he reveals how a small group of companies orchestrated a corporate takeover of the nation's meat supply. Leonard focuses on Tyson Foods as the pioneer of the industrial system that now controls the market. He traces how the food industry reached its current state and explains how companies like Tyson have avoided proper oversight. The book shows how these corporations manipulate the system to increase consumer prices while reducing payments to farmers. Leonard also examines how big business and political forces have blocked reform efforts, from extended legal battles in Iowa to the Obama administration's unsuccessful attempt at regulatory changes. This investigation provides readers with an unfiltered look at the corporate forces that control America's heartland food production.
Genres: business, politics, agriculture, non-fiction, investigative-journalism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: corporate-malfeasance, investigative-reporting
Setting: America, Iowa
Period: 21st-Century
384 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster