Agricultural Giants Increase Lobbying and Political Contributions for 2024 Election

Financially powerful agribusinesses have poured record amounts of money into lobbying and electoral politics in recent years, as lawmakers debate the farm bill and other policies that shape how food is produced in the United States.

According to data from the nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets, entities linked to well-known companies such as Tyson Foods and Deere & Co. have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to political campaigns or party committees, with most of those contributions going to Republicans. In the case of Tyson Foods, for example, its affiliates had contributed $886,000 to the current election cycle as of June 30, an amount already reaching about 80% of the company's total spending in the 2020 election.

Although corporations themselves cannot donate directly to campaigns, contributions from political action committees (PACs), corporate employees, and their families still reflect the industry's political priorities. In the 2023-2024 election cycle, agribusiness campaign spending has reached $124 million, with donation data after June 30 not yet released.

Chicken producer Montaire Farms is the largest single donor this cycle, with its affiliates having poured more than $12 million into candidates and party committees. Other major spenders include Wonderful Co., one of the world's largest agricultural companies, and Tyson Foods.

This accelerated spending trend is expected to continue in 2024. According to OpenSecrets projections, this election cycle is on track to become themost expensive in history, although after adjusting for inflation, total spending is down compared to 2020.

As campaign spending climbs, agribusinesses are also increasing lobbying efforts on issues such as the farm bill. A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that lobbying spending grew by 22% between 2019 and 2023, with most of that spending occurring in 2023.

Dr. Omanjana Goswami, one of the report's lead authors, said in an email comment to Agriculture Dive that the staggering amount of money in politics highlights a "pay-to-play" system in which large donations can steer the direction of policy decisions and discussions.

"Individuals and organizations working to make food and agriculture systems more equitable and sustainable do not have the resources or influence to compete with large agribusinesses and industry groups, and they should not be forced into that competition in the first place," Goswami said.

Buying a "seat at the table"

Ben Lilliston, director of rural strategy and climate change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, noted that campaign contributions are an important way to maintain access to influential lawmakers, with donations often seen as a means of "purchasing access."

"There's no question that donations get you a seat at the table," Lilliston said. "I guarantee you can get the meeting, and you can make sure your views are heard and taken seriously."

However, Clare Brock, an assistant professor at Colorado State University and author of "Farmed Out: Agricultural Lobbying in a Polarized Congress," believes that campaign spending does not always translate directly into political influence. Many companies prefer to invest in lobbyists to push specific legislation through, rather than focusing on electoral politics.

Upcoming research by Brock, University of Michigan researcher Alexander Furnas, and James Madison University scholar Tim LaPira shows that between 1998 and 2018, the overlap of groups that both lobbied and made PAC donations was only 10% to 12%, and that overlap has been steadily declining over the years.

"The top-tier groups, like those with the highest political engagement, do both donating and lobbying," Brock said. "But for many groups, their strategy is simply to lobby on specific provisions or policies."

Brock said part of the reason for rising spending may be that the time needed to pass legislation such as the farm bill has lengthened significantly. As Congress becomes increasingly polarized, lobbying costs rise accordingly: according to OpenSecrets data, agribusiness lobbying spending hit a record $178 million in 2023, with more than 1,300 registered lobbyists representing the industry.

"If the farm bill passed on time, you could precisely plan when lobbying starts and ends," Brock said. "But now the process keeps dragging on, one extension after another, which means you have to keep paying lobbyists."

IATP's Lilliston said the higher financial bar makes it harder for smaller organizations to exert influence. The institute advocates for sustainable agriculture and trade policies at the federal and state levels. Typically, groups outside the industry struggle to make policy progress unless they have a sufficiently strong grassroots movement to "overwhelm that money."

"The reforms you think are necessary may not even make it onto the agenda," Lilliston said. "Unless you are extremely well organized, it's hard to compete with large agribusinesses."