US farm chief warnsfarm chief warns China reliance threatens food security
US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told lawmakers in Washington on Thursday that dependence on China for food, fertiliser and other farm inputs is a national security risk.
She used the hearing to defend the White House’s reduced fiscal 2027 agriculture budget, and the issue matters because it links supply chains, trade exposure and US security planning.
US Agriculture Department
Brooke Rollins cast China dependence as a threat to American freedom and argued that food supply chains should be treated as part of national security. Her remarks tied farm policy to wider concerns about strategic vulnerability.
Lawmakers
Members of Congress are weighing how much the United States should spend to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers for essential agricultural goods. The debate reflects concerns that supply shocks could affect both farmers and consumers.
- The United States and China have long been major agricultural trading partners despite wider political rivalry.
- Fertiliser prices can swing sharply because natural gas, mining and shipping all affect global supply.
- Food supply resilience is often discussed alongside energy security in national planning debates.
