Competition and trading practices in the agricultural and food chain

The plan wants the state to act strategically so that capital does not sit in unreasonable positions of power, sharpen competition and improve conditions for smaller businesses. The counter-proposal's demand for reduced market power for the large groups in the food chain and easier entry for small and medium producers directly responds to it. The plan also highlights the small business person competing with large corporations and wants to focus on sustainable food production.

• better conditions for smaller businessesdecisive»investeringar, skärpa konkurrensen och förbättra villkoren för mindre« (party programme ↗)“investments, sharpen competition and improve conditions for smaller”
• small businesses against large corporations»Du som arbetar hårt inom ditt eget småföretag, i konkurrens med storbolag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“You who work hard in your own small business, in competition with large corporations.”
• state role against high prices»Staten kan också spela viktiga roller för att hålla företagens« (party programme ↗)“The state can also play important roles in keeping companies'”
• sustainable food production»En annan viktig del i den gröna omställningen är satsningar på hållbar livsmedelsproduktion.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Another important part of the green transition is investments in sustainable food production.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme states that harmful oligopolies have emerged in certain markets and demands that price cartels and unfair pricing be prevented. The counter-proposal's demand for increased competition at the wholesale level, limited market power for large corporations and easier market entry for smaller producers is precisely the democratic counterweight the plan seeks. The commitment to viable Swedish food production points in the same direction.

• counter unfair pricingdecisive»Förhindrande av priskarteller och oskälig prissättning.« (party programme ↗)“Prevention of price cartels and unfair pricing.”
• harmful oligopolies in markets»och skadliga oligopol har även vuxit fram.« (party programme ↗)“and harmful oligopolies have also emerged.”
• viable food production»Livskraftig svensk livsmedelsproduktion som stärker landets självförsörjningsförmåga.« (party programme ↗)“Viable Swedish food production that strengthens the country's self-sufficiency.”
• security for smaller producers»Trygghet för småföretagare.« (party programme ↗)“Security for small businesses.”

The plan wishes to strengthen Swedish agriculture and create better conditions for more farmers, and particularly promote small and medium-sized farms ahead of continued large-scale operations. It also establishes that unregulated markets tend to create private monopolies and insufficient competition that harm households, and that the state has a responsibility to counter this. The counter-proposal's demands for increased competition in the wholesale sector and limited market power follow from these commitments.

• better conditions for farmersdecisive»Miljöpartiet vill stärka det svenska jordbruket och skapa bättre villkor för fler bönder.« (party programme ↗)“The Greens wish to strengthen Swedish agriculture and create better conditions for more farmers.”
• promote smaller farms»Små och medelstora lantbruk som bygger på lokala kretslopp,« (party programme ↗)“Small and medium-sized farms that are based on local cycles,”
• counter private monopolies»I en oreglerad marknadsekonomi tenderar det att uppstå situationer som« (party programme ↗)“In an unregulated market economy, situations tend to arise where”
• state responsibility for competition»Staten har ett ansvar att motverka en sådan utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“The state has a responsibility to counter such development.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto establishes that freer markets and improved competition shall dampen prices, and the party programme wants to prevent an economic centralization that puts market mechanisms out of play. The counter-proposal's requirement for increased competition in the wholesale level and limited market power for large corporations is precisely this. The plan also wants to strengthen the green industries' competitiveness and give small businesses better preconditions, which bears the requirement to make it easier for smaller producers.

• better competition dampens pricesdecisive»Genom att skapa friare marknader och förbättra konkurrensen kan vi dämpa priserna ytterligare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By creating freer markets and improving competition we can dampen prices further.”
• counteract economic centralization»förhindrar en ekonomisk centralisering som sätter marknadsmekanismerna ur spel.« (party programme ↗)“prevents an economic centralization that puts market mechanisms out of play.”
• strengthened competitiveness for green industries»Vi vill stärka de gröna näringarnas konkurrenskraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen the green industries' competitiveness.”
• better conditions for small businesses»Småföretagen är motorer för jobb, integration och möjligheter. Vi ska skapa bättre förutsättningar för dem att lyckas, med lägre skatt, mindre regelkrångel och en starkare arbetslinje.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Small businesses are motors for jobs, integration and opportunities. We shall create better preconditions for them to succeed, with lower taxes, less regulatory red tape and a stronger work line.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme establishes that private power can also be abused and that market economy requires rules for fair competition, and that strong competition law is needed. To increase competition at the wholesale level, limit corporations' market power and clarify the prohibition against improper use of that power is an application of this. The requirement to facilitate small and medium-sized producers meets the plan's commitment to reduced regulatory burden.

• counteract abuse of market powerdecisive»Även den privata makten kan missbrukas. Marknadsekonomin kräver spelregler för att upprätthålla en sund konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“Private power can also be abused. Market economy requires rules to maintain fair competition.”
• strong competition law»Därför behövs en stark konkurrenslagstiftning och konsumentlagar som ger rätt till korrekt produktinformation.« (party programme ↗)“Strong competition law and consumer laws that give right to correct product information are therefore needed.”
• competition on equal terms»Lagar och regler ska slå vakt om äganderätt, konkurrens på lika villkor, rättssäkerhet och att enskilda människor har likvärdiga och goda möjligheter att nå sina livsmål.« (party programme ↗)“Laws and rules shall protect property rights, competition on equal terms, legal certainty and that individuals have equivalent and good opportunities to reach their life goals.”
• facilitate smaller producers»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska, genom ansträngningar på både kommunal, statlig och europeisk nivå, och offentliga beslut analyseras ur småföretagarperspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Regulatory burden on small businesses shall decrease, through efforts at municipal, state and European level, and public decisions analyzed from a small business perspective.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme requires effective competition policy that counters oligopoly, monopoly and unfair competition, and places small and medium-sized enterprises at the centre of business policy. The counter-proposal's requirements for increased competition at the wholesale level, limited market power for the conglomerates and easier entry for smaller producers is precisely that policy applied to the food chain. The plan moreover wants agricultural policy to create proximity between producer and consumer. The requirement is supported.

• competition policy against oligopolydecisive»En effektiv konkurrenspolitik motverkar oligopol, monopol och illojal konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“Effective competition policy counters oligopoly, monopoly and unfair competition.”
• small and medium-sized enterprises at the centre»De små och medelstora företagen, som ofta är familjeföretag, ska stå i centrum för utformningen av näringslivspolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“Small and medium-sized enterprises, which are often family businesses, shall be at the centre of the design of business policy.”
• break up closed markets»Det måste ske genom att förenkla regler och förbättra konkurrensen, genom att bryta upp slutna marknader och monopol, och att förhindra otillbörligt statligt stöd.« (party programme ↗)“This must happen by simplifying rules and improving competition, by breaking up closed markets and monopolies, and by preventing improper state aid.”
• proximity between producer and consumer»Jordbrukspolitiken bör utformas så att den skapar förutsättningar för närhet mellan producent och konsument.« (party programme ↗)“Agricultural policy should be designed so that it creates conditions for proximity between producer and consumer.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that the state's role in the economy includes promoting competition, and that prosperity is built on a dynamic and vigorous business life. To increase competition in the wholesaling level and make it easier for small and medium-sized food producers to gain market share responds to that principle, as does the plan's view that profitability in agriculture is unsustainably low. However, the plan does not take a position on rules on unfair trading practices.

• the state shall promote competitiondecisive»institutioner, skydda penningvärdet, främja konkurrensen« (party programme ↗)“institutions, protect the value of money, promote competition”
• profitability in agriculture»Samtidigt vittnar bönder om att det inte lönar sig att så inför sommarsäsongen. Det är ohållbart.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Meanwhile, farmers testify that it does not pay to plant before summer season. That is unsustainable.”
• vigorous business life»Sveriges välstånd bygger på ett dynamiskt och livskraftigt näringsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's prosperity is built on a dynamic and vigorous business life.”
• good conditions for smaller businesses»Villkoren för att starta, växa och expandera behöver vara goda« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The conditions for starting, growing and expanding need to be good”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan states that unnecessarily strict conditions in industry standards and procurement make it difficult for smaller actors to enter the market, and wants to increase agricultural competitiveness and conditions for new ventures. It also wants to increase measures against the problems farmers face, including food fraud. The counter-proposal's demands for increased competition at the wholesale level and clearer prohibitions on improper market power respond to these commitments.

• smaller actors entering the marketdecisive»Onödigt stränga villkor i branschstandarder och i upphandlingar gör det ofta svårt för mindre aktörer att slå sig in på marknaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Unnecessarily strict conditions in industry standards and in procurement often make it difficult for smaller actors to enter the market.”
• strengthened agricultural competitiveness»Öka det svenska jordbrukets konkurrenskraft och Sveriges självförsörjning av livsmedel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase Swedish agriculture's competitiveness and Sweden's self-sufficiency in food”
• measures against farming problems»Sverigedemokraterna vill därtill skapa förutsättningar för innovation och teknikutveckling och öka åtgärderna mot de problem som lantbrukare drabbas av, som t.ex. stora vildsvinsstammar och livsmedelsbedrägerier.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats further want to create conditions for innovation and technology development and increase measures against the problems farmers face, such as large wild boar populations and food fraud.”
• new ventures and competition»Skapa förutsättningar för nyföretagande och entreprenörskap« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new ventures and entrepreneurship”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.