Food Supply Chain Security (E.O. 14364)

Summary

Sets up government groups to find and stop unfair business practices that make food more expensive and threaten national security.

What problem does this solve?

Unfair business deals, especially by foreign companies, can make food too expensive and put our food supply at risk. This order creates special teams to investigate these companies and take action to stop any illegal behavior.

Who does this affect?

American consumers
Food industry corporations
Foreign-owned companies

What does this order do?

Establishes two new task forces

Creates a Food Supply Chain Security Task Force within both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Investigates unfair business practices

Directs the new task forces to investigate if anti-competitive behavior, like price fixing, exists in the U.S. food supply chain.

Focuses on foreign-controlled companies

Requires an investigation into whether foreign control of food companies is increasing costs for Americans or creating a national security threat.

Authorizes legal and criminal action

Allows the Attorney General and FTC Chairman to take action to fix any unfair practices, including starting criminal proceedings for collusion.

Requires reports to congress

Mandates that the task forces brief Congress on their progress twice within the first year of the order.

What is the real world impact?

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Targets foreign companies for rising food costs

Focuses investigations on foreign-controlled corporations, which could be used to blame other countries for high food prices in the U.S. instead of focusing on domestic issues.

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Increases government oversight of the food industry

Creates new government task forces with the power to investigate private companies, which some may see as government overreach into the free market.

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Aims to lower food prices for consumers

Seeks to protect American families from artificially high food costs by investigating and stopping illegal price-fixing schemes among large corporations.

When does this start?

This order takes effect immediately and sets specific deadlines for reports to Congress within the first year.

First congressional briefing

The task forces must provide a summary of their progress to Congress within 180 days of the order's date.

Second congressional briefing

A second progress summary must be provided to Congress within 365 days of the order's date.