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Food security is national security

A former ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture says protecting food security is essential to ensuring national security.

Kip Tom says depending on foreign competitors for ag products puts the U.S. food supply at risk.

“When we rely on our number one adversary, China, for the production of the crop care products that we use to control the weeds, insects and diseases, our yields could be reduced almost 50%,” he says. “At that point in time, we’re food insecure.”

He tells Brownfield the U.S. should focus on restoring the domestic supply chain.

“We need to figure out how we can produce some of those actives here or maybe we come up with some new actives that we can produce here,” he says. “Some of the companies that are based in the United States or in Europe, we have to encourage them to invest here to help them realize that same risk.”

Tom says the goal is to ensure a safe food supply for generations to come.

Brownfield interviewed Tom at the 2024 Indiana Farm Bureau State Convention.