The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) settled a civil suit against Cargill and poultry companies Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms to end an alleged 20 year conspiracy to depress wages for workers at their poultry processing plants. The DOJ claimed defendants allegedly exchanged information about wages and benefits and collaborated with competitors on compensation decisions in violation of the Sherman Act. The lawsuit also alleged that two of the poultry processors violated the Packers and Stockyards Act by engaging in deceptive practices associated with the “tournament system", which pits chicken growers against each other to determine their compensation. The lawsuit is the latest action that the DOJ has taken in a broad investigation into alleged anticompetitive behavior by industrial agriculture corporations. The defendants agreed to settle the suit and pay $84.8 million to poultry plant workers.