Source: Sentient
Four cooperatives now control roughly half of all milk production in the United States. This consolidation has squeezed out independent farmers and given these organizations near-monopoly power over pricing and supply. Milk flows through schools, hospitals, and retail chains, yet farmers have almost no negotiating leverage when selling to buyers who collectively represent the entire market. The cooperative model, originally designed to empower small producers through collective action, now serves as a mechanism for scale players to extract value from the remaining independents.