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The soul of America does not live in the bureaucratic corridors of Washington, but around kitchen tables and in the fields, barns and pastures that make those kitchen tables possible. When the men and women who feed, feed and clothe our nation are under pressure, our entire republic feels the pressure.
That is why the executive order President donald trump signed on December 6, which targets price fixing and anti-competitive behavior in our food supply chain, is more than just a regulatory action: it is a line in the sand. And it should have been done a long time ago.
For decades, foreign interests and corporate monopolies have tightened their control over the very system that feeds us.
BROOKE ROLLINS: AGRICULTURAL SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY
And once again, President Trump is stepping up to defend him.
Since I was sworn in earlier this year, I have heard the same message from farmers and ranchers in every corner of this great country: President Joe Biden’s last four years were crushing.
He cost of doing business soared while commodity prices fell. Inflation skyrocketed, but the needs of those who produce our food were left aside. Since 2020, seed costs are up 18%, fuel is up 32%, fertilizer is up 37%, labor is up 47%, and interest expenses are up 73%. Those numbers don’t just put pressure on budgets: they threaten the very fabric of our national security.
President Trump is focused on providing both short- and long-term solutions that will ease the burden on our producers and secure our agricultural economy for generations to come.
From targeted aid for farmers to solutions to the H-2A program, we work every hour of every day to reduce input costs. But we know that more needs to be done to restore justice to our broken system, to untangle the mess that the previous administration let fester.
Anticompetitive behavior has long posed a threat to the fairness of that system and the affordability of the U.S. food supply, especially when carried out by foreign-controlled corporations.
In recent years, some companies in the American food supply chain have even settled civil lawsuits accusing them of tens of millions of dollars in price fixing.
It’s time for the federal government to take a closer look. competitive conditions in the agricultural market, including through the application of antitrust measures that promote free competition in the market.
Earlier this fall, USDA and the Department of Justice signed a memorandum of understanding to do just that. The memorandum aligns a joint commitment by both agencies to protect American farmers and ranchers from the burdens imposed by high and volatile input costs (such as feed, fertilizer, fuel, seeds, equipment and other essential goods) while ensuring competitive supply chains and lower consumer prices.
President Trump’s new executive order builds on this initiative by involving the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.
For the first time in history, the President and Attorney General Pam Bondi will establish a Food Supply Chain Security Task Force within each of their respective departments to investigate food-related industries. Through these working groups, the Trump administration will determine if there is any anti-competitive behavior, especially by foreign controlled companiesincreases the cost of living for Americans and addresses any national security threats associated with our food supply.
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Make no mistake: Price fixing, collusion and anti-competitive schemes have no place in American agriculture and will not be ignored.
Whether it’s droughts, floods, pests, labor shortages or ordinary market volatility, farmers have enough challenges to face. Sky-high input prices should not be one of them.
Day by day, we are ushering in the Golden Age of American agriculture, defined by fairness, competition and prosperity. Unlike the last administration, President Trump will not allow our producers to be bullied into misery.
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Farmers first. Families first. America first.
That’s a recipe for success, safety and affordability, from the beginning of the supply chain to tables across America.
