Why should imperfect competition matter to agricultural economists?

In this paper it is argued that imperfect competition should be given more attention by agricultural economists as the characteristics of food markets in Europe (and elsewhere) suggest that these markets are more typically oligopolistic. Particularly important in this regard is the growing market power of food retailers in many European countries. The analysis of imperfect competition should not be confined to those solely interested in competition policy issues but should also be the concern of economists who undertake applied policy analysis more generally.