For the past three years, the Biden-Harris administration has pitted big farms against small farms, climate grants against farm spending, and now, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack is pitting the food industry against consumers. “It’s important and necessary, I think, for the federal government to be on the side of consumers,” Vilsack told Agri-Pulse recently.
Who is on the side of farmers and ranchers? We need all sizes of farms and agriculture businesses to be successful in order to have a robust, safe agriculture system.
The agriculture industry in the United States feeds millions here at home and millions more around the globe. Without the companies providing necessary products like safe pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds, our agriculture economy would completely dry up. Without food companies packaging, storing, shipping, and selling agricultural products, we would be a food-insecure country.
I enjoy the local farmers market just as much as anybody and I believe we should be supporting local food and farmers as much as possible. However, without our dynamic domestic and global supply chains, which rely on shelf-stable products, agriculture production at scale, and complex logistics, many of our global consumers are only three meals from severe hunger.
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During the COVID pandemic, we were reminded just how important our food system is to ensure every American has access to safe and affordable food. Now that our agricultural system has been forgotten and taken advantage of, food prices are reaching all-time highs.
Burdensome regulations, bad energy policy, and a lack of effort to make new trade agreements have forced farmers like myself to expect the worst farm income in many of their lifetimes. Meanwhile, billions are being spent on slush money “climate grants” for nonprofits in D.C., and Chinese solar panels are being subsidized on good farmland.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz support the removal of stepped-up basis, which would make it nearly impossible for young farmers to take over their operations. All of these policy actions could end the family farm’s existence as we know it today.
Farmers are on the verge of being forced out of agriculture while food prices are already at an all-time high. I believe this is directly caused by the Biden-Harris administration’s new regulations, not the food companies. Can our agricultural system take four more years of policies that do not put farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans first?
During the Trump administration, taxes were lowered, multiple trade deals were signed, and burdensome regulations were cut. The Trump administration also passed a farm bill – on time. These policies meant farm income jumped to an all-time high, and rural economies were stronger – not weaker.
There is plenty of room in our agriculture system for every size farm to be successful, and every part of the agriculture supply chain is critical to that success. The ability to live the American Dream of working hard, taking risks, and investing in our future needs to remain alive. It’s in the best interest of U.S. national security and global food security.
It’s time to put farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans first again.
Kip Tom served as the U.S. ambassador to the UN food and agriculture agencies under Donald Trump’s administration. He has been leading the Farmers and Ranchers for Trump Coalition.