National Security

Global food price spikes in 2008 and 2011 led to significant unrest and political instability around the world. Throughout that period, on average, Americans continued to spend less of their disposable income on food than any other nation on earth. Whether it is sound farm policy that ensures we have consistent, stable, and abundant food production or sound agricultural trade policy that ensures the flow of food around the globe or sound food assistance policy—including both domestic nutrition assistance and global emergency food aid—all are an integral part of ensuring global stability and security, including our own national security. A nation that can feed itself while helping others around the world is inherently more secure.