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The soul of America lives not in the bureaucratic hallways of Washington, but around kitchen tables, and in the fields, barns, and pastures that make those kitchen tables possible. When the men and women who feed, fuel and clothe our nation are under strain, our whole 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 a mere regulatory action — it’s a line in the sand. And it’s long overdue.
For decades, foreign interests and corporate monopolies have tightened their grip on the very system that feeds us.
BROOKE ROLLINS: FARM SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY
And once again, President Trump is stepping up to defend it.
Since being sworn in at the beginning of this year, I have heard the same message from farmers and ranchers across every corner of this great country: the last four years under President Joe Biden were crushing.
The cost of doing business soared while commodity prices slumped. Inflation skyrocketed, yet the needs of those who produce our food were sidelined. Since 2020, seed costs rose by 18%, fuel increased by 32%, fertilizer went up 37%, labor went up 47%, and interest expenses rose by 73%. Those numbers don’t just strain budgets — they threaten the very fabric of our national security.
President Trump is focused on providing both short-term and long-term solutions that will relieve the burden on our producers and secure our farm economy for generations to come.
From targeted farmer aid to H-2A program fixes, we are working every hour of every day to lower input costs. But we know that more needs to be done to restore fairness to our broken system, to untangle the mess that the previous administration let fester.
Anti-competitive behavior has long posed a threat to 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 American food supply chain have even settled civil suits accusing them of price fixing for tens of millions of dollars.
It is long past time for the federal government to take a hard look at competitive conditions in the agricultural marketplace, 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, seed, 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 chairman 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 any anti-competitive behavior, especially by foreign-controlled companies, increases the cost of living for Americans and address 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 U.S. agriculture and will not be ignored.
Whether it’s droughts, floods, pests, labor shortages, or ordinary market volatility, farmers have enough challenges to deal with. Sky-high input prices should not be one of them.
Day by day, we are ushering in the Golden Age of American agriculture, defined by fairness, competition and prosperity. Unlike the last administration, President Trump will not allow our producers to be bullied into destitution.
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Farmers first. Families first. America first.
That’s a recipe for success, security and affordability, from the beginning of the supply chain to dinner tables across America.
