Food Security is a National Security Issue

An uptick in fires at food processing facilities has sparked concerns about the safety of America’s food supply.

Diseases have disrupted and severely damaged food production. The Covid pandemic closed meat processing facilities, forcing millions of healthy pigs to be euthanized in 2020. An insect-borne bacteria from China threatens the nation’s entire citrus production.  

Man-made policies are causing painful food shortages worldwide. Last year, China hoarded half the world’s grain, driving up prices.

Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain producers, has seen its exports down 30 percent since Russia’s invasion last February.

Climate change policies threaten to decimate food production in the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany, causing farmers to take to the streets in rebellion.

Climate policy-related indices that wealthy countries impose on smaller ones mean less fertilizer, creating unsustainable burdens on African food producers like Ghana.  

Food security is a national security issue. Deepening public distrust of government institutions, big industry, and journalism, and polarization over climate change policies, have diminished the likelihood of consensus about the nature of the problem and what to do.