Australians ‘Dumpster Diving,’ Growers Leaving the Industry as Supermarket Profits Rise

While the Business Council of Australia has defended the profits made by Australia’s supermarkets, saying “unprofitable companies do not invest and hire for long, the growers that supply them say that’s exactly the future they’re facing. TasFarmers chief executive Nathan Calman told the Senate inquiry into supermarkets that Coles and Woolworths were using their market power to reduce the price paid to farmers while simultaneously increasing prices for consumers. “At one end of the supply chain, somebody can’t afford to buy something without stealing it,” he said. “At the other end, you’ve got farmers contemplating suicide because they can’t receive a fair price.”...