The chicken came first: how Australia’s most popular protein can explain the supermarket duopoly

‘If chicken eaters have a right to a fair feed, farmers surely have a right to fair market conditions if they are going to increase their production.’ Photograph: Sarah Richardson/Alamy

There is an interesting juxtaposition happening in the Australian food supply chain. On the one side you have farmers who compete for a slot in the market. And on the other you have the supermarket duopoly, who, according to a report by the former watchdog Allan Fels, face no real competition at all.

This is an old story for those of us who live in the bush, who are used to an unlevel playing field and the weird conditions that can result.