Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI) is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes “natural” and organic products. As of September 2009, the company operates 302 stores: 291 stores in 38 U.S. states and the District of Columbia; six stores in Canada; and six stores in the United Kingdom.

www.WholeFoodsMarket.com

Koch Industries, Inc. /ˈkoʊk/) is an American private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas, with subsidiaries involved in manufacturing, trading and investments. Koch also owns Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals and Matador Cattle Company.Koch companies are involved in core industries such as the manufacturing, refining and distribution[1] of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, intermediates and polymers, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, chemical technology equipment, ranching, finance, commodities trading, as well as other ventures and investments.

www.kochind.com

The Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) is a conglomerate headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.

ADM also provides agricultural storage and transportation services. The American River Transportation Company along with ADM Trucking, Inc are subsidiaries of ADM. ADM’s revenues for fiscal 2009 were US $69.2 billion.

Products include oils and meal from soybeans, cottonseed, sunflower seeds, canola, peanuts, flaxseed, and Diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, as well as corn germ, corn gluten feed pellets, syrup, starch, glucose, dextrose, crystalline dextrose, High fructose corn syrup sweeteners, cocoa liquor, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, chocolate, ethanol, and wheat flour. End uses are consumption by people, livestock, and fuel additives.

Long known as a food and ingredients company, ADM recently invested in fuel production. ADM nearly doubled capital spending in its 2007 budget to an estimated $1.12 billion. The increase is planned for bioenergy projects, focusing on ethanol and biodiesel.

www.adm.com

American Crystal Sugar is an agricultural cooperative founded in 1899 that produces and processes sugar and sugar beets. The company has for decades maintained an active political action committee, routinely spending between $300,000 and $600,000 each election cycle through the early 2000s. In recent years, however, American Crystal Sugar PAC expenditures have grown exponentially, reaching $2.1 million during the 2008 election cycle. The company’s PAC generally directs more of its money to Democratic candidates than Republican candidates. Also in recent years, the company has increased its federal lobbying expenditures significantly, spending between $1 million and $2 million in 2008 and 2009.

www.crystalsugar.com

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) (previously named Philip Morris Companies Inc.) is based in Henrico County, Virginia, and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton, Inc., United States Smokeless Tobacco, Inc., Philip Morris Capital Corporation, and Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. It is one of the world’s largest tobacco corporations. Philip Morris International was spun off in 2008. In addition, Altria Group, Inc. has a 28.7% economic and voting interest in one of the world’s largest brewing companies, UK based SABMiller plc, where it has 3 seats on the 11-person board of directors. It is a component of the S&P 500 and was a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average until February 19, 2008. The company has its headquarters in unincorporated Henrico County, Virginia, less than five miles West of the city limit of Richmond and less than ten miles from its downtown Richmond buildings.
On January 27, 2003, Philip Morris Companies Inc. changed its name to Altria Group, Inc. On March 30, 2007, a spin out of Kraft Foods subsidiary (publicly traded since 2001) was concluded through distribution of the remaining stake of shares (88.1%) to Altria shareholders. As a result, Altria no longer holds any interest in Kraft Foods. On March 28, 2008 a similar spin out of Philip Morris International was completed with 100% of shares being distributed to Altria shareholders.
On January 6, 2009, Altria Group, Inc. completed the acquisition of UST Inc., a moist smokeless tobacco manufacturer; UST owned Ste Michelle Wine Estates, a wine company.

www.altria.com