American agriculture is the quiet guardian of American power, and no nation can project strength abroad if it cannot feed its people at home. Today, America’s farmers and ranchers feed 340 million Americans, and supply food to hundreds of millions more around the globe. No other nation combines land, logistics, innovation, and scale like the United States in producing food so abundantly and efficiently. Even China, America’s principal geopolitical competitor, remains dependent on imported corn and soybeans from the Western Hemisphere and energy from the Middle East. Food and energy are limiting factors of national power, but America has both in abundance.
In 2026, the United States will mark its 250th birthday, but in 1776, many doubted that the American experiment would last for long. King George III reportedly told his advisors that the colonies would be undone by declaring independence, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, nearly every major power has collapsed, been conquered, or fundamentally transformed since July 4, 1776. France’s government has vacillated between republics, monarchies, and empires. Great Britain’s global empire receded after World War II. Germany, Italy, and Japan didn’t even exist as unified nations in 1776. The Soviet Union, America’s greatest geopolitical rival of the 20th century, lasted a mere 74 years. In contrast, the United States is the world’s lone true superpower, and agriculture is a key reason for our nation’s enduring strength.
During World War I and World War II, the United States was rightly called the “Arsenal of Democracy,” but we were also the “Breadbasket of Democracy,” sustaining the Allied nations during their darkest days. Food proved just as essential as ammunition, and when it mattered most, America’s farmers and ranchers delivered.
America’s food power is rooted in geography. The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans shield the United States from invasion and provide access to global trade. The United States possesses arable farmland at a truly continental scale, unlike any other nation except India. The Mississippi River System forms the world’s most efficient internal trade network, connecting the American heartland to domestic and global markets. Abundant energy sources span the continent, making the United States energy secure. Combined, these advantages help form a system that moves food from the farm to markets anywhere in the world.
The world has entered a new era of geopolitical competition, and it is hungry for nutritious, safe, affordable American food. In this volatile environment, America’s ability to feed its people and its allies is a source of national power.
The simple truth is this: food security is national security. As we celebrate our nation’s first 250 years, agriculture remains the foundation of American power that makes every other form of strength possible.
