What are the different elements of a food supply chain and how can government policy related to competition, including competition law enforcement, play a role to limit market failures? This paper considers several aspects of food supply chains and their relationship to competition. Specifically, it discusses how market failures or competition law may apply to supplies to and purchasing from farmers, to the storage and transport of food, to the standards for delivering and packing food products; as well as the distributor-to-retailer negotiation. It also explores the grocery chain buyer power and potential consequences.
