Farm Security is National Security: The Trump Administration Takes Bold Action to Elevate American Agriculture in National Security

(Washington, D.C., July 8, 2025) — Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced the next pillar of her Make Agriculture Great Again initiative: USDA's National Farm Security Action Plan. This historic plan elevates American agriculture as a key element of our nation's national security, addressing urgent threats from foreign adversaries and strengthening the resilience of our nation's food and agricultural systems.

"We feed the world. We lead the world. And we'll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods," said Secretary Rollins. "This Action Plan puts America's farmers, families, and future first—exactly where they belong. Under President Trump's leadership, American agriculture will be strong, secure, and resilient. He will never stop fighting for our farmers and our ranchers."

A Real Threat, a Real Response

Recent events highlight the critical need for this action. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice charged foreign nationals, including a Chinese Communist Party member, with smuggling a noxious fungus into the United States—a potential agroterrorism weapon responsible for billions in global crop losses. The scheme involved a U.S. research lab and highlighted a disturbing trend: America's enemies are playing the long game—infiltrating our research, buying up our farmland, stealing our technology, and launching cyberattacks on our food systems. These actions expose strategic vulnerabilities in America's food and agriculture supply chain.

Enough is enough.

Protecting the homeland begins with protecting our farmland and the National Farm Security Action Plan puts American farmers and ranchers first by safeguarding our food supply, strengthening critical infrastructure, and defending U.S. agricultural innovation from foreign adversaries.

 A Comprehensive Action Plan for Agriculture Security

The National Farm Security Action Plan takes aggressive action across seven critical areas.

Secure and Protect American Farmland – Address U.S. foreign farmland ownership from adversaries head on. Total transparency. Tougher penalties.

Enhance Agricultural Supply Chain Resilience – Refocus domestic investment into key manufacturing sectors and identify non-adversarial partners to work with when domestic production is not available. Plan for contingencies.

Protect U.S. Nutrition Safety Net from Fraud and Foreign Exploitation – Billions have been stolen by foreign crime rings. That ends now.

Defend Agricultural Research and Innovation – No more sweetheart deals or secret pacts with hostile nations. American ideas stay in America.

Put America First in Every USDA Program – From farm loans to food safety, every program will reflect the America First agenda.

Safeguard Plant and Animal Health – Crack down on bio-threats before they ever reach our soil.

Protect Critical Infrastructure – Farms, food, and supply chains are national security assets—and will be treated as such.

Read the full plan (PDF, 1.1 MB)

A United Front Against Foreign Threats

This National Farm Security Action Plan will serve as the launch point for USDA to work in further unison with governors, state legislators, and federal partners to further integrate agriculture into the broader national security efforts over the coming months and years reaffirming the critical nature of agriculture and the need for a cross governmental approach. Defending access to American abundance and preserving the American experiment is the essence of agriculture security - and it is why farm security is national security.

"Foreign ownership of land near strategic bases and US military installations poses a serious threat to our national security. The Farm Security Plan will put America First and keep our bases across the homeland secure," said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

"Farm security is national security. The Department of Justice will continue working to prosecute those who threaten American agriculture, investigate cases of potential agro-terrorism, and protect America's farmers from illegal threats at home and abroad," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

"Food policy is national security policy. A country who cannot feed itself, cannot take care of itself, and cannot provide for itself is not secure. We have to be able to feed ourselves to make sure that no other country ever controls us…We will never let any other country control our food supply or control our people because we will always be the great United States of America," said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

"Arkansas led the nation in kicking Communist China off our farmland and out of our state because we understand that farm security is national security," said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "I applaud President Trump and Secretary Rollins for putting America first with this bold USDA Action Plan to protect our food supply, our economy, and our freedom."

"Tennesseans know that our farmland is our national security, our economic future, and our children's heritage. The National Farm Security Action Plan puts America First by defending our farmland from foreign adversaries and protecting our food supply, and I thank the Trump Administration for its bold leadership," said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.

"Farm Security = Food Security = National Security. Thanks to these actions taken by President Trump and his team, we can further protect the backbone of Nebraska's economy from foreign adversaries like China. Homeland security starts at home, and we will continue to do our part in Nebraska," said Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen.

"Foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are trying to get their foot in the door by buying up our farmland," said Senator Tommy Tuberville. "In my state of Alabama, we have the fourth-highest amount of foreign-owned land in the U.S. with 2.2 million acres. Not only is this dangerous for our farmers, but it's disastrous for our national security. Thankfully, the Trump administration is taking action to secure our farmland and keep us safe from bad foreign actors."

"Farm security is national security, and it is imperative that we start recognizing this before it is too late," said Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. "President Trump understands this, and I applaud the work his administration has done to partner with Kansas agriculture and the biodefense industry to ensure that plant and animal diseases do not compromise our food supply."

"President Trump is using every tool at his disposal to keep our nation safe, and that includes securing our food supply. This historic USDA effort reflects his clear understanding that food security is national security, and under his leadership, America's farmers and families are safer and stronger," said House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson.

"Under Governor Sanders' leadership, Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick China off our farmland. Thank you President Trump, Secretary Rollins, and Secretary Hegseth for what you are doing to stop our adversaries from destroying our country and for protecting the way of life that provides the food, fiber, fuel, and shelter that we all depend on every single day," said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.

"Agriculture is national security, period. A nation that cannot feed itself, cannot defend itself, and I'm excited to work together with Sec. Rollins and Sec. Hegseth to champion policies that will strengthen US farm security and protect our nation's farmers, farmland, and food supply," said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper.

"I am grateful for Secretary Brooke Rollins' bold leadership in advancing USDA's Ag Security Agenda, which prioritizes safeguarding American agriculture and farmland from those who seek to undermine our nation's food and energy security. Iowa's multi-generation family farms are the backbone of our state's economy and way of life. For decades, Iowa has banned the foreign ownership of farmland, a law we strengthened in 2024, to preserve our agricultural integrity and security while balancing the need for foreign business investment in our state. I fully support Secretary Rollins' and the Trump Administration's efforts to bolster enforcement, increase reporting, and enhance transparency of land ownership laws at the national level to guarantee that our American farmland remains in the hands of Americans," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.

"The USDA's leadership in developing this comprehensive Plan shows a clear commitment to putting American farmers and ranchers first," said Commissioner Shell. "Protecting our farmland and food systems from foreign influence and biosecurity threats is critical not only to our agricultural economy but to the national security of the United States. I'm proud to join colleagues from across the nation in supporting this important work," said Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell.

"Agriculture is truly the backbone of our nation, and protecting the U.S. now and into the future means protecting our food supply. I applaud the foresight and leadership of Secretary Rollins and her colleagues to defend and strengthen American agriculture. I look forward to supporting these efforts on behalf of our Oklahoma farmers and ranchers and all Americans who count on the safe, reliable, and nutritious food we produce in the United States," said Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur.