Keeping America’s farmland safe from China and other foreign adversaries is why the U.S. Department of Agriculture is strengthening its coordination with the U.S. Department of War.
“Farm security is National Security,” says U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “Protecting the Homeland must begin with protecting our farmland.”
She says USDA is taking its National Farm Security Action Plan to the next level.
“[We are] pairing USDA’s agricultural expertise with the Department of War’s innovation and security capabilities.”
Rollins says the partnership will further protect the U.S. from those who want to do us harm.
“Our very first action will be through a new partnership between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the USDA Chief Scientist. This will allow the sharing of information regarding security vulnerabilities and agriculture. Second, [this will also allow] collaboration to develop novel technological solutions to American agriculture’s biggest challenges. Third, [it will involve] the exchange of personnel to ensure both departments are well equipped to protect American agriculture,” says Rollins.
She adds that USDA is also creating the Office of Research Economic and Science Security.
“This new office will be responsible for coordinating research security efforts across the entire USDA research enterprise, including both intramural and extramural activities,” she says.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the objective is to safeguard America’s food supply chain from vulnerabilities that could be exposed.
“Something people may not know is that shortly after 9/11 U.S. forces in Afghanistan uncovered Al-Qaida training manuals that specifically targeted America’s agriculture for attack,” Hegseth said. “The bottom line is we’re not dealing with hypotheticals here. The threat is real and it must be neutralized.”
The partnership builds on last year’s National Farm Security Action Plan to stop the purchase of U.S. farmland by China and other foreign adversaries.
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