Washington, D.C. — In response to news that multinational confectioner manufacturer and brand owner Mars has agreed to acquire snack food peer Kellanova for $35.9 billion, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“This deal, likely in reaction to increasing grocery retail concentration, represents yet another alarming step in the cycle of consolidation that drives up food prices for small businesses and consumers across the country,” said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Consolidation in grocery stores, like the attempted Kroger-Albertsons transaction, leads to consolidation from other parts of the supply chain, as manufacturers feel pressure to merge and acquire to counter the power of big grocery chains. The result is a handful of powerful companies dominating our grocery aisles and stores, which leads to fewer choices and higher costs at check out. Just like in Kroger-Albertsons, the FTC should continue its strong track-record of tackling food consolidation head on by blocking this deal and protecting American consumers from further price hikes.”

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.