Cargill, Bayer AG, BASF, and other agriculture companies are under investigation by Canada’s antitrust authorities for allegedly trying to block a tech startup’s growth there.
Canada’s Competition Bureau is investigating the matter, according the Wall Street Journal, citing Canadian court documents filed last Thursday, January 30. Authorities are seeking e-mail and phone records from five agribusinesses, including Corteva Inc. and Univar Solutions, related to the California-based startup Farmers Business Network Inc. (FBN).
The investigation was prompted by a civil complaint FBN submitted a year ago to the agency alleging one of the agriculture companies stopped selling seeds and crop inputs to a Canadian business that FBN had recently acquired. FBN claims the company also urged farmers not to do business with the tech company, which is trying to shift North American farmers’ farm supply purchases online.
In exploring the claims, the Competition Bureau widened its lens to look at other agriculture companies, including Cargill, operating in the region.
FBN, founded in Silicon Valley by former Google executives and venture capitalists, is trying to build an online marketplace for farmers to buy seeds, pesticides, and other ag supplies, much like Amazon has done for consumers with everyday goods.
Featured News
DOJ and FTC Introduce Website for Reporting Anti-Competitive Healthcare Practices
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
US Congress Advances Legislation to Compel TikTok Sale
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
UK Financial Sector Advocates Enhanced Regulatory Accountability
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Google and All 50 States Defend $700 Million Consumer Settlement
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Colorado Enacts First Law to Protect Consumer Brainwave Data
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI