Food and Agribusiness Lobbying Expenses
According to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, lobbyist disclosure filings in Congress reported lobbying expenses by food and agribusiness companies and trade associations and producer groups totaled $137,853,745 in 2012, up from $131,031,173 reported in 2011. Monsanto was the leading spender in agribusiness lobbying with more than $5.9 million in 2012. The American Farm Bureau Federation reported lobbying expenses of almost $5.7 million last year among farm groups. The AFBF Washington lobby spent nearly $2.5 million with the remaining $3.2 million for 13 additional state Farm Bureau affiliates including Oregon. AFBF expense reports cover activities and salaries of 23 registered lobbyists.
In comparison, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent over $136 billion in 2012 and General Electric spent $21.1 billion in lobbying efforts.
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