Report: Food security is national security

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America is the world’s greatest producer of food. Americans take their food supply for granted, but the dependability of that supply is fragile. The 2020 Covid pandemic made that vulnerability apparent. The US has no national strategic reserve of food. For the average citizen, the pandemic brought home the effects of competitive and hostile foreign actors, supply chain disruptions, centralized distribution systems, technological failures and abuses, flawed central government policies and systems, influence operations, and a public tendency to rely on central authority for the answers.

Food security is national security. The federal government does have a role. Yet food security is one of the few national security issues in which each citizen can take measures to look out for oneself, one’s family, and one’s community. It’s an issue that can elevate existing communities and create new ones without relying on centralized bureaucracies.

This report inaugurates a new Center for Security Policy program to promote awareness and provide solutions for the multiplying threats to America’s food supply. It seeks to kick off a national discussion about food security, the role of the federal government, the role of states and communities, and the role of the individual. Even more than discussing the problem, the Center’s program is designed to help empower citizens to address food security for themselves. This report provides a broad overview of the problem and an initial list of recommendations at the federal, state and local, and individual levels. Over time and through collaboration, we intend to grow that list and encourage action at all levels to enhance our nation’s food security.”

Read the full report here.

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