News

Shore up the U.S. food and industrial supply chain
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) 
April 5, 2022
The Gazette
 
… According to the United Nations, the Ukrainian “food supply chain is falling apart” because of “insecurity and the reluctance of [truck] drivers.” The disruption of the global supply chain is already raising food prices. Tragically, it will be a source of “collateral hunger” for countless men, women, and children throughout the coming weeks, months, and possibly even years.
 
Times like these remind us how blessed we are to live in a country with a resilient food supply chain — and how thankful we should be to our domestic agriculture and aquaculture sectors…. It demonstrates the value of domestic production, even in the most uncertain and challenging times. It also highlights the importance of government policies that promote resiliency across critical industries….
 
Some policymakers get criticized during normal times for the measures we put in place to protect and grow our food supply. That is as true for defending Iowa’s pork market in Taiwan from Chinese activity as it is for protecting Florida’s seasonal crops from unfair Mexican trade practices. But in moments of crisis, it means people have food on their plates. After all, food security is national security….
 
U.S. food production has proved an essential safeguard against Putin’s aggression. But now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. America must turn its attention to building the same type of robust, resilient supply chains in other critical sectors of our economy to ensure they hold up in times of crisis….
 
A pro-American industrial policy will identify key industries — from food and energy to biotech, rare-earth minerals, and artificial intelligence — and pursue strategies to spur investment in them. Revitalizing these sectors in the U.S. will prove essential to weathering future storms and making sure the 21st Century is another American Century….
 
Today, U.S. agriculture serves as an example of why resilience in critical industries is essential to sustaining our nation’s strength. Ignoring our vulnerabilities is no longer an option and failing to address them is a mistake we cannot afford to make.
 
Read the rest here.