Other perspectives on the panels made for some good discussion. Chris Waldrop, director of the Food Policy Institute at Consumer Federation of America, discussed food access and what the food landscape looks like for low-income consumers. Sociologist Mary Hendrickson pointed out the complexities of “consumer welfare” that stretch beyond a narrow focus on price to include consideration of the degree to which one can control one’s life choices and who has power in the food system. Food and Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter discussed the “illusion of choice” created by hundreds of products made by just a few firms; food engineered with a “formula of sugar, fat, salt that alters the brain’s pathways and compels people to overeat”; and the fact that “at least 60% of consumers don’t have an iPhone with an app on it to compare prices.”

As at the other workshops, there were two public comment periods, with favorite characters reprising their roles from earlier in the year–although, unlike in the other workshops, virtually all speakers argued for strong enforcement of antitrust laws. There were Midwestern dairymen; ranchers in cowboy hats and boots; and soft-spoken Southern poultry growers spurred to speak only to counter a statement by a National Chicken Council representative. They were joined by consumers, nonprofit groups, food justice advocates, students, and concerned citizens from as far as New York and Vermont. They spoke about food safety, climate change, public health, food access, and food sovereignty. In a statement on behalf of WhyHunger, I joined Food Democracy Now!, Food and Water Watch, Farm Aid, and Pesticide Action Network North America to announce a joint delivery of almost 240,000 signatures on petitions requesting that the Department of Justice and USDA take action to level the playing field in food and agriculture.

In the end, it’s hard to know what the outcomes of investigation will be. The presence of industry voices at this workshop was sparse–but it may be that the big corporations don’t need to give testimony during public comment periods because they are part of inside meetings with government officials. However, opposition at the Alabama, Wisconsin, and Fort Collins producer-focused workshops was strongly organized–possibly spurred by seeing the media coverage of the town hall meeting held by small farm and community groups prior to the first workshop in Iowa.  Also, Assistant AG Christine Varney’s recap of the year referenced many of the stories that our allies have told, indicating that DOJ has been listening. One DC-based member of our loose coalition pointed out that by organizing our side so strongly and getting people out to speak, we may have given DOJ political cover to act, even in the face of strong industry opposition. If that’s true, it means that the voices of the people still matter–which is good news as we look towards this series’ spinoff: the 2012 Food and Farm Bill.