Editing Oligopsony (section)

==Industry examples==
In each of these cases, the buyers have a major advantage over the sellers. They can play off one supplier against another, thus lowering their costs. They can also dictate exact specifications to suppliers, for delivery schedules, quality, and (in the case of agricultural products) crop varieties. They also pass off much of the risks of overproduction, natural losses, and variations in cyclical demand to the suppliers.{{Citation needed|reason=These are things that CAN, but don't necessarily, result from an oligopsony. A more balanced description needs to be presented.|date=March 2017}}

===Agriculture===
One example of an oligopsony in the world economy is [[Cocoa bean|cocoa]], where three firms ([[Cargill]], [[Archer Daniels Midland]], and [[Barry Callebaut]]) buy the vast majority of world cocoa bean production, mostly from small farmers in third-world countries. Likewise, American [[tobacco]] growers face an oligopsony of [[cigarette]] makers, where three companies ([[Altria Group|Altria]], [[Brown & Williamson]], and [[Lorillard Tobacco Company]]) buy almost 90% of all tobacco grown in the US and other countries.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}

===Publishing===
In U.S. publishing, five publishers known as the [[Big Five (publishers)|Big Five]] account for about two thirds of books published.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kachka|first1=Boris|title=Book Publishing's Big Gamble|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/opinion/book-publishings-big-gamble.html|access-date=9 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=2013-07-09}}</ref> Each of the companies runs a series of specialized [[imprint (trade name)|imprints]], which cater to different market segments and often carry the name of formerly independent publishers. Imprints create the illusion that there are many publishers, but imprints within each publisher co-ordinate to avoid competing with one another when they seek to acquire new books from authors.{{Citation needed|reason=Since that amounts to an accusation of wrongdoing, a source is pretty much mandatory.|date=January 2017}}

Thus, authors have fewer truly-independent outlets for their work. That depresses advances paid to authors and creates pressure for authors to cater to the tastes of the publishers in order to ensure publication, reducing viewpoint diversity. {{Citation needed|reason=According to whom/what source has viewpoint diversity been reduced? This seems to be written from the point of view of a frustrated author.|date=March 2017}}

===Retail===
Over at least 30 years, supermarkets in developed economies around the world{{which|date=July 2019}} have acquired an increasing share of grocery markets. In doing so, they have increased their influence over suppliers—what food is grown and how it is processed and packaged—with impacts reaching deep into the lives and livelihoods of farmers and workers worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|last=Consumers International|title=The relationship between supermarkets and suppliers|url=http://www.europe-economics.com/publications/the_relationship_between_supermarkets_and_suppliers.pdf=bv.47810305,d.dGI|access-date=11 June 2013}}</ref>
In addition to increasing their market share with consumers, consolidation of suppliers means that retailers can exercise significant market power. In some countries, this has led to allegations of abuse, unethical and illegal conduct.<ref>{{cite web|last=Background Briefing|title=Casualties in the supermarket war|date=23 March 2013 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/2013-03-24/4582278|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=11 June 2013}}</ref>

The situation in Australia is a good example since two retailers, [[Coles Supermarkets|Coles]] and [[Woolworths Supermarkets|Woolworths]] control 70% of the national food market.<ref>{{cite web|last=Consumers International|title=The relationship between supermarkets and suppliers|url=http://www.europe-economics.com/publications/the_relationship_between_supermarkets_and_suppliers.pdf=bv.47810305,d.dGI|access-date=11 June 2013}}</ref>