The soul of America lives not in the bureaucratic corridors of Washington, but around kitchen tables, and in the fields, barns and pastures that those kitchen tables make possible. When the men and women who feed, fuel and clothe our nation are under pressure, our entire republic feels the pressure.
That’s why the executive order President Donald Trump signed on December 6, targeting price-fixing and anti-competitive behavior in our food supply chain, is more than just regulatory action – it’s a line in the sand. And it’s already far too late.
For decades, foreign interests and corporate monopolies have tightened their grip on the system that feeds us.
BROOKE ROLLINS: FARM SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY
And once again, President Trump is stepping up to defend it.
Since I was sworn in early this year, I’ve heard the same message from farmers and ranchers from all corners of this great country: the last four years under President Joe Biden have been crushing.
The cost of doing business soared, while commodity prices fell. Inflation skyrocketed, but the needs of those who produce our food were sidelined. Since 2020, seed costs have increased by 18%, fuel costs by 32%, fertilizer by 37%, labor by 47% and interest costs by 73%. These figures not only put pressure on budgets, they even 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 assistance to farmers to solutions for the H-2A program, we work every hour of the day to reduce input costs. But we know that more must be done to restore fairness to our broken system, to untangle the mess that the previous administration allowed to fester.
Anti-competitive behavior has long threatened the fairness of that system and the affordability of America’s food supply – especially when carried out by foreign-controlled corporations.
In recent years, some companies in the U.S. food supply chain have even settled civil lawsuits accusing them of price-fixing to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
It is long overdue that the federal government has taken a closer look at the conditions of competition in the agricultural market, including through antitrust enforcement that promotes free market competition.
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 bringing the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission into the fray.
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 Task Forces, the Trump Administration will determine whether anticompetitive behavior, especially from foreign-controlled companies, is raising the cost of living for Americans and addressing any associated national security threats to 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 drought, floods, pests, labor shortages or just plain market volatility, farmers have plenty of challenges to deal with. Sky-high input prices should not be part of this.
Day by day, we are ushering in the Golden Age of American agriculture, characterized by fairness, competition and prosperity. Unlike the previous administration, President Trump will not allow our producers to be bullied into poverty.
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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 the dinner tables across America.
