Food Security as National Security: The Strategic Value of Arable Land

For the first time, U.S. leaders are explicitly linking food security to national defense. The National Farm Security Action Plan, launched in July 2025 by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and others, treats American farms as critical infrastructure. This responds to vulnerabilities exposed by pandemics and wars disrupting global supplies.

A pivotal February 2026 MOU between USDA and the Department of War, including DARPA, formalizes collaboration. It focuses on sharing intel on agricultural threats, boosting productivity, and innovating against cyber and bio-risks. President Trump's 'America First' push drives this unified government effort.

Arable land—fertile soil for crops—is a finite resource vital for self-sufficiency. Protecting it prevents adversaries from undermining U.S. food independence through supply chain interference or land grabs. Designating fertilizers as critical minerals safeguards this asset.

Foreign ownership concerns have spurred terminations of contractors from 'countries of concern' and bans on Chinese solar panels in farm programs. These steps ensure taxpayer funds bolster domestic resilience, not rivals. Globally, rivals like Russia use food exports to gain influence in hungry nations.

Hunger abroad isn't just humanitarian—it's a U.S. security risk. It breeds instability, terrorism, migration surges, and openings for China and Russia, as seen in Africa and the Middle East. The Arab Spring and southern border pressures exemplify these links.

U.S. strategies from Trump and Biden eras affirm food security's role in countering disease, poverty, and adversarial sway. Yet clearer ties to national interests are needed to sustain funding and programs like the Global Food Security Act.

H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, advances farm safety nets, local food procurement, and meat processing grants. It revives state-led buying programs and boosts Farm Service Agency loans, earning praise from groups like National Farmers Union.

Challenges remain: unfunded authorizations, tariff impacts, and no mandatory beef labeling amid rising imports. Still, it provides overdue certainty post-reconciliation splits, prioritizing security in farm policy.

Emerging risks like cyber attacks on farms demand innovation. USDA-DoW ties with DARPA target these, alongside research security and fraud-proof nutrition programs. NATO echoes this, mandating food resilience for preparedness.

By securing arable land and chains, the U.S. builds a resilient food fortress. This holistic approach—policy, tech, legislation—positions agriculture as a strategic bulwark in great power competition.