The presence of market power and the potential of anti-competitive practices in the food supply chain are of concern to the European Commission and the Swedish Ministry for Rural Affairs. An overly concentrated market structure can be negative for agriculture in the form of lower commodity prices and to consumers in terms of less choice and higher prices in stores. The Government has therefore commissioned the Swedish Competition Authority to analyze the competitive situation in the Swedish food supply chain. The Authority has, in turn, commissioned AgriFood Economics Centre to assist with the analytical work.

The AgriFood commission consists of four projects, and this report is linked to the second of these projects:

• “Competition and Power in the Swedish Food Supply Chain” describes structural changes, the degree of concentration and level of competition the Swedish food supply chain, and makes projections about the future development.(Read more)
  Authors: Karin Olofsdotter, Lund University, Joakim Gullstrand and Kostas Karantininis SLU/Copenhagen University
• “Price Transmission in the Swedish Food Supply Chain” analyzes empirically whether asymmetric price transmission is present in the Swedish food supply chain.
  Author: Morten Persson
• “Location and Competition in the Food Retail Market” analyzes price formation at the store level and how different brands and store concepts contribute to form the local markets. (Read more)
  Author: Christian Jörgensen
• “Cooperatives in the Swedish Agri-Food Industry” investigates how the presence of cooperatives affects the competitive structure in the food supply chain.(Read more)
  Author: Jerker Nilsson, SLU

The Swedish Competition Authority delivered its report to the Government in April 2011.