At a Glance
Budget (2023): $432,000
Founded: 2023
Executive Director: Marty Irby
Background
Competitive Markets Action might appear at first glance to be a group that represents farmers. But it’s run by an animal-rights lobbyist in DC and is funded by activists who want to shut down livestock farms across the country.
Lobbying Agenda
CMA is represented by DC lobbyist Marty Irby. Irby previously worked for the lobbying arm of the Humane Society of the United States, which promotes veganism, opposes meat consumption, and lobbies for laws that raise the price of animal products for farmers and consumers.
CMA’s main lobbying effort is to oppose a federal fix to California Proposition 12, a state law that is driving up food costs across the country–including a 20% price spike for pork products in California. Prop 12 imposes costly mandates on pork and egg farmers–even those who don’t live in California. If allowed to stand, the law will lead to a patchwork of similar states laws that drive up food costs and lead to consolidation of farming.
Upholding Prop 12 is the primary strategy of the animal rights movement, which wants to ultimately end animal agriculture. And in Competitive Markets Action, they have a deceptively appearing group to carry their water.
Funding
Almost all of CMA’s funding comes from a handful of sources–and they aren’t farmers. In 2023, its founding year, three donors provided 77% of CMA’s revenue:
- Karuna Foundation: $50,000
- Open Philanthropy Action: $580,000
- Humane America Animal Foundation: $73,000
The Karuna Foundation is an animal rights group that promotes veganism. Open Philanthropy is backed by a California billionaire who has given over $400 million in funding to the animal rights movement. Humane America Animal Foundation also doles out money to animal rights groups.
Tax records show Open Philanthropy Action contributed another $629,000 in 2024 to Competitive Markets Action.