Food Security is National Security
When Americans think about national security, they often picture military strength or energy independence. But one of the most overlooked pillars of national security is much closer to home: our ability to produce food reliably, affordably, and domestically.
A recent piece by Advancing American Freedom underscores how government policy directly shapes the strength of U.S. agriculture, warning that limiting access to essential farm tools can raise costs, reduce output, and weaken the broader economy. At the same time, a Washington Examiner piece highlights how ongoing legal battles could determine whether widely used crop protection tools remain available at all.
Taken together, these arguments point to a larger reality. Food production is not just an economic issue. It is a national security issue.
The Tools Behind a Stable Food Supply
Modern agriculture depends on crop protection tools to function at scale. Herbicides, such as glyphosate, and other chemistries allow farmers to control weeds and pests, protect yields, and produce more food with fewer resources.
Crop protection tools like glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, are used across most U.S. cropland and play a central role in keeping food production stable and efficient.
Without them, the consequences are immediate: lower yields, higher costs, and increased pressure on an already strained food system. Research shows that without tools like glyphosate, food inflation could more than double—driving up grocery bills for American families.
At a time when millions of Americans already face food insecurity, maintaining a strong agricultural system isn’t optional.
The Growing Strategic Risk
Food security is also about supply chains. The United States produces some critical crop protection tools domestically, but much of the global supply of key agricultural inputs is concentrated overseas.
If domestic production becomes less viable because of growing legal and regulatory uncertainty, the U.S. risks shifting further toward foreign dependence. That creates exposure to supply disruptions and reduces control over a critical part of the food system. Reliance on foreign agricultural inputs, as we’ve seen with fertilizer this year, can create bottlenecks and open the door for adversaries to restrict access when it matters most.
In other sectors, this would be considered a clear strategic vulnerability. Agriculture should be no different.
Why Agriculture Policy Decisions Matter for National Security
The current debate around crop protection tools is not just about science. It is about stability.
Unpredictable policies, particularly those not rooted in science, can weaken agricultural productivity and increase costs across the board. Legal uncertainty alone can be enough to push critical tools out of the market, even when they remain approved and widely used.
When that happens, farmers are left with fewer options. Alternatives are often more expensive, less effective, or both. Over time, that reduces competitiveness and increases pressure on the food supply.
Protecting the tools that farmers rely on is not just about supporting agriculture. It is about safeguarding a core component of national strength.