Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins has announced a new National Farm Security Action Plan, which includes several federal departments, including Homeland Security and Defense, in an effort to protect American farms.
Outside USDA Headquarters, Secretary Rollins said the seven-step plan is essential to national security.
“Perhaps the most important, the first of the seven, is securing and protecting American farmland ownership; actively engaging at every level of government to take swift legislative and executive action to ban the purchase of American farmland by Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries. Standing on the shoulders of great governors, three of whom are standing behind me who have already been leading the way on this issue and at the federal government level, working to do everything within our ability, including presidential authorities, to claw back what has already been purchased by China and other foreign adversaries.
“Additionally, working with the Secretary of the Treasury, along with our Defense Department, on memorandums to ensure that moving forward, there is a much more intentional look at who is buying what in this country and from where they are in the world. Also, enhancing our agricultural supply chain resilience, also protecting our U.S. nutrition and safety net from fraud and foreign exploitation. Number four, defending agricultural research and innovation. No more sweetheart deals and secret pacts with countries that do not have our best interests in mind.
“Number five, making sure that America First is in every USDA program, from farm loans to food safety. We have already canceled seven active agreements with entities in foreign countries of concern and will continue to cancel additional agreements moving forward. I signed a memo today, which immediately removes 70 citizens from countries of concern that are currently affiliated with the USDA through contracts or research arrangements. And we are working to issue regulatory action to remove over 550 entities from foreign countries of concern from our preferred catalog.
“Number six: Safeguarding Plant and Animal Health. Working to make sure that we know what is coming in and how to control animal diseases. And number seven, protecting critical infrastructure here from our farms, our food, and our supply chains. Again, along with so many partners across this government here in Washington and across our states.”
