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Biden administration’s memo helps protect US food supply

The Biden administration has announced an effort to enhance the security of the US food and ag industries.

Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the National Security Memorandum on Strengthening the Security and Resilience of US Food and Agriculture, signed last week, will help ensure all Americans have access to wholesome foods, “Food security is national security and in particular, they understand without America’s farmers and ranchers, they don’t have food security.”

He tells Brownfield the memorandum sends a clear signal that research done at Land Grant Universities and the Agricultural Research Service is critical to protecting the nation’s food supply, “To help us come up with new ways to combat foreign animal diseases, in particular for those of us in the cattle business, but not only that. We know that the research that has been done in the past has led to great things, like a vaccine for foot and mouth disease.”

Woodall says the announcement couldn’t come at a better time, “This memo will show Congress the administration supports the cattle industry request for additional funding and maintenance of the food and mouth disease vaccine bank that was included in the last farm bill, which will be a part of the farm bill discussions coming up here in the next year.”

The memorandum instructs top government officials to identify threats to the food and ag sector and coordinate with federal, state, local, and tribal governments to develop responses.