who owns and controls the food supply chain?

remember this when things go wrong. - ed.

Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today announced that it has acquired five oceangoing dry-bulk commodity vessels, ranging in length between 179 and 225 meters (587 and 738 feet). The five carriers – one Handy, one Handymax, a Supermax and two Panamax vessels – provide cargo-carrying capacity between 36,000 tons and 67,000 tons and will transport all types of grain, grain products and bulk commodities to and from ports in Europe, South America, Asia and other parts of the world.

“These five carriers compliment ADM’s global transportation network and allow us to ship grain throughout the world with more flexibility and lower cost than outside carriers,” said Royce Wilken, an officer of ADM Transportation. “As we continue to expand our continental transportation networks around the world, connecting these regions on a global scale aligns with our strategy to expand the geographic scope of our business.”

...“In addition to providing us greater control of the supply chain, these vessels will improve operating margins, and help to position us ahead of our competitors with regards to net delivery cost,” said Wilken. “The productivity gains these vessels bring to ADM will also help ensure that our just-in-time delivery capabilities are among the best in the industry.”

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