Iowa congressional candidate warns concentrated meatpacking industry makes food supply less secure

J.D. Scholten, a Democratic congressional candidate in Iowa, warned on Monday that the concentration of the U.S.  meatpacking industry makes the food supply less stable.

Scholten, who is running to replace Republican Rep. Steve King in western Iowa, told Hill.TV that having about 50 plants that process 98 percent of the meat in the U.S. leads to a lack of resiliency and flexibility in the industry. 

“If we’re gonna be a secure nation, we have to be a food secure nation,” he said. “So coming out of this I’m hoping that we realize that we need change.”

The congressional candidate also expressed concern for farmers, some of whom have had to euthanize their livestock and others have not received fair prices for their products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data Friday showing more than 4,900 workers in meat processing plants have tested positive for coronavirus. In the meantime, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue is working with closed plants to reopen and keep the U.S. meat supply stable.

“It’s something where both the workers and the farmers are getting screwed,” Scholten said.