One AI overview on the American food market which is dominated by a small number of US corporations:
Four corporations control about 85% of the national beef packing market, 85% of soybean processing, and 63% of pork packing: Cargill, Archer-Daniels Midland, Bunge, and Louis Dreyfus. Three companies control the entire $90 billion American chicken industry: Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride, and Perdue.
Four retail giants control 65% of the grocery retail market: Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Ahold Delhaize.
Five to ten major food manufacturers control an average of 64% of all grocery sales, with the top four firms often controlling 40% or more of market share for nearly 80% of grocery items: Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra, Unilever, and Delmonte.
In summary, the American food market is highly concentrated, with a handful of corporations controlling the majority of production, processing, and retail.
US GDP per capita is $85,809.90, yet 38 million Americans live at or below the poverty line, which represents roughly 11.6% of the population. Meanwhile, the average salary for CEOs of the major US food corporations is exceptionally high.
The average total compensation for CEOs at the 350 largest publicly traded US companies, including food and beverage giants, was about $22.98 million in 2024, up 6% from the previous year. For example, Coca-Cola's CEO received $54.5 million in total compensation for 2022, while Wendy's CEO was paid $17.3 million in 2023. McDonald's CEO earned around $18.2 million in 2025, and Starbucks' CEO made $96 million for just four months of work.
