Austin Frerick is an economist, Yale Fellow, former Congressional Research Assistant, and author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry. He investigates how the U.S. food system became both outrageously expensive and dangerously toxic—not just for consumers, but for the farmers who grow our food. Instead of blaming deregulation alone, Frerick exposes the real culprits: the Big Ag monopolies that have spent billions to rig the system, buy politicians, and crush opposition to expand their hidden empires. We break down how these corporate Barons pulled off their silent coup, the devastating impact of monopolization on farming, food prices, and public health. Most importantly, we explore what can be done to take back control of the food system before it’s too late.
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(00:00) Go!
(00:07:05) Unanchored Elite and National Identity
(00:13:18) Deregulation and Its Consequences
(00:21:15) Economists and Societal Impact
(00:30:20) Monopoly and Reform
(00:41:35) Political Influence & Campaigns
(00:50:10) Industrial Farming & Environment
(01:01:44) Influence of Campaign Finance on Congressional Power
(01:14:58) Evolving Congressional Power Struggles
(01:25:45) Consumer Culture and Class
(01:37:02) Labor Laws and Corporate Influence
(01:51:09) Sustainable Practices and Cultural Knowledge
(02:00:10) Patterns of Consciousness and Cultural Shifts
(02:18:52) Language, Emotion, and Coalition Building
(02:31:12) Importance of Storytelling in Addressing Systemic Issues
(02:46:48) Intellectual Exploration and Theoretical Understanding
(02:49:07) Restaurant Industry
#monopoly, #FoodCrisis, #economics, #BigBusiness, #Finance, #FoodSupply, #Agriculture, #Farming, #Sustainability, #BigAg, #EconomicReform, #CorporatePower, #LocalEconomy, #GrassrootsActivism, #AgriculturalPolicy, #ConsumerRights, #PoliticalEconomy, #philosophypodcast, #sciencepodcast, #longformpodcast
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PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities.
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