Peter Carstensen, an expert on competition law and policy, has been discussing a potential merger between the struggling milk giant Dean Foods and Dairy Farmers of America, a marketing cooperative.

Read a summary of his comments to media agencies around the state and nation:

• Wisconsin Public Radio, "Wisconsin experts disagree on dairy industry impact of Dean Foods sale," Feb. 24, 2020. "There are some farmers who really admire DFA and feel it's done well by them. But for many other farmers, it's going to put them at risk because they're going to have no other outlet for their milk."
• Politico, "DOJ examining a milk marriage," Feb. 18, 2020. "[A merger] has potential to hurt consumers because it will eliminate a lot of competition. At the same time, it will hurt dairy farmers.”
• New York Times, "Talk of milk industry merger draws justice dept. scrutiny," Jan. 29, 2020. "Both Dean and DFA have grown through acquisitions of smaller milk processors and cooperative mergers, industry officials said. Absorbing Dean’s operations could give DFA more than 60% share of fluid-milk sales in upper Midwestern markets like Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, said Peter Carstensen, a University of Wisconsin Madison law professor emeritus and former antitrust attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice."
• Wisconsin State Farmer, "Federal regulators launch probe in possible Dean Foods merger," Jan. 28, 2020. "Peter C. Carstensen, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin Law School told The New Food Economy that a sale between Dean Foods and DFA could raise a conflict of interest that could result from 'trying to lower prices paid to farmers in order to boost their revenues as a milk processor.'"
• Wall Street Journal, "Regulators probe potential Dean Foods merger," Jan. 27, 2020. "Both Dean and DFA have grown through acquisitions of smaller milk processors and cooperative mergers, industry officials said. Absorbing Dean’s operations could give DFA more than 60% share of fluid-milk sales in upper Midwestern markets like Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, said Peter Carstensen, a University of Wisconsin Madison law professor emeritus and former antitrust attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice."

Submitted by Law School News on February 24, 2020

This article appears in the categories: Faculty, In the Media

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