Baldwin Rolls Out Bipartisan Legislation to Safeguard Domestic Food Supply, Keep Prices Down at Grocery Store

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined a group of Republican colleagues to introduce the Securing American Agriculture Act, bipartisan legislation to bolster and protect our domestic food and agriculture supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign adversaries. China has gained a significant market share in the production of essential agricultural inputs such as vitamins, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and crop protection tools, posing a serious threat to agricultural productivity, food prices, and national security.

“Wisconsin’s agricultural industry is not just valuable to our Made in Wisconsin economy, but it also is critical for our nation’s food security and price stability. When our farmers’ supply chains are vulnerable to foreign adversaries like China, it can have major downstream impacts – threatening to jack up the cost of food at the grocery store and Americans’ ability to put food on the table for their families,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work with my Republican colleagues to safeguard our farmers and agricultural supply chains, strengthening our national security and protecting Americans from unnecessary price hikes at the grocery store.” 

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) strategic control over crucial sectors of our food and agricultural supply chain poses a serious national security threat. In recent years, the PRC gained significant market share in the production of essential agricultural inputs like vitamins, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and crop protection tools. China now controls over 90% of vitamin C and vitamin B6 production and up to 85% of amino acids used in animal feed.

Losing access to these key inputs could drastically reduce agricultural productivity, increase food prices, and undermine domestic food security. A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater study found that, if left unchecked, the PRC’s domination of the amino acids market would destroy 30,000 U.S. jobs and reduce economic activity by $15 billion per year. The Securing American Agriculture Act bolsters and protects our food production supply chain.

Specifically, the bipartisan bill:

• Requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce, to conduct an annual threat assessment of critical food and agricultural supply chains.
• Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide recommendations to mitigate potential threats from the PRC and for legislative and regulatory actions to reduce barriers to domestic critical input production.

The Senate bill is led by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and co-sponsored by Mike Braun (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

A one-pager on the bill can be found here. Bill text is available here.

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