YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

U.S. food security is national security

By Gary Joiner
Publisher

The U.S Department of Agriculture releases an outlook for U.S. agricultural trade.

The top line of its August outlook demanded a deeper dive.

The value of agricultural imports in fiscal year 2023 are projected to be higher than the value of agricultural exports that year.

In other words, the United States is projected to become a net importer of food and fiber.

That’s quite a sobering statement. Our nation’s long-standing status as a net exporter is about to change.

The $5 billion increase in imports can be attributed to higher imports of grains and feed products, horticultural products, fresh fruits, and sugar and tropical products.

Food security is national security. We never want to be dependent on other nations for our supply of critical foods.

How we got to this point is mixture of U.S. growing conditions and national and global economies.

We cannot take our U.S. food supply and food security for granted. Domestic food and fiber production strengthens our national security.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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