Takeaways from AP's report on a beef plant closure that threatens to unravel a small Nebraska town

The beef industry in the United States is one of the largest and most complex agricultural sectors in the world, controlled primarily by a few major corporations that dominate the supply chain from production to retail. Four major companies—Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and National Beef Packing Company—control more than 80% of U.S. beef processing. These corporations manage a vertically integrated supply chain, encompassing cattle procurement from ranchers, slaughtering, processing, packaging,