Corporate Concentration

Concentration in corporate power is the defining feature of today's global economy, with profound implications for livelihoods, well-being, the environment and human rights. ETC Group has long monitored the "Gene Giants" (who aggregate control over seeds, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, genomics and food processing and retailing). Today many of the same large corporations are touting the use of new technologies - including genomics, nanotechnology and synthetic biology - to transform biomass into high-value products or to manufacture materials "from the bottom up." They are moving from being - 'gene giants' to 'biomass-ters' or even 'matter moguls.'

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is setting alarm bells ringing once again, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is already shaking global trade. Food production and prices could be next.

Experts warn that Strait of Hormuz fertilizer and fuel blockage could lead to a global food crisis

One third of synthetic fertilizers and one quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade pass through the Strait of Hormuz every day - two essential inputs for the industrial food chain. 18 Mar 2026

Grain Traders, Greed and Oligopoly Power

New research confirms that ag commodity traders sit at the pinnacle of the industrial food chain, influencing how, where and when a staggering volume of commercially traded food is grown, who grows it and under what conditions. 6 Feb 2026