Former US Officials Warn of Impending 'Widespread Collapse of American Agriculture': 'Our Farmers and Ranchers … Can't Compete with the World'

Why It Matters

U.S. agriculture underpins food security and rural economies, so policy‑driven collapse could trigger nationwide supply disruptions and economic decline.

Key Takeaways

• Tariffs raise farm input costs, hurting competitiveness
• Climate extremes threaten yields, increase pest pressures
• Letter urges nine policy reforms, including tariff exemptions
• Restoring research funding seen as critical for innovation
• Plant‑based diets and EVs could reduce agricultural demand

Pulse Analysis

The agricultural sector is confronting a perfect storm of policy and market pressures, according to a bipartisan letter signed by former heads of the National Corn, Barley, and Soybean Growers associations. The signatories contend that recent tariffs on farm inputs and restrictive trade measures have inflated production costs and limited export opportunities, eroding U.S. comparative advantage. By raising prices for fertilizers, machinery, and seed, these tariffs squeeze profit margins and force growers to compete against nations with more predictable regulations. The letter urges immediate tariff exemptions and renewed trade agreements to restore competitiveness, warning that without swift action U.S. farms risk losing market share to China and Brazil.

Climate volatility compounds these policy headwinds, with floods, droughts, and severe storms disrupting planting cycles and damaging infrastructure. Warmer temperatures also expand the range of crop‑killing pests, raising yield uncertainty. Yet federal funding for USDA research has remained flat, limiting the development of climate‑resilient seed varieties and precision‑ag technologies. Restoring and expanding research budgets would accelerate tools such as drought‑tolerant crops and integrated pest‑management systems, giving growers the adaptability needed to thrive amid an increasingly unpredictable environment. Investments in data analytics and satellite monitoring also promise early warning capabilities.

The broader impact reaches food security and rural economies; a collapse would strain supply chains and depress community livelihoods. The nine‑point reform plan calls for tariff relief, research investment, streamlined labor access, and modernized supply chains. Simultaneously, consumer shifts toward plant‑based proteins and the adoption of electric vehicles could reduce demand for corn‑based ethanol, freeing acreage for higher‑value crops. Aligning policy with these market trends offers a realistic path to protect U.S. agriculture, sustain rural jobs, and preserve the nation’s status as a global food supplier. Policymakers must balance short‑term relief with long‑term sustainability goals.

Former US officials warn of impending 'widespread collapse of American agriculture': 'Our farmers and ranchers … can't compete with the world'

Photo Credit: iStock

Major players in the agricultural industry are sounding an economic alarm in a joint letter, according to The New York Times.

A bipartisan group of agriculture industry leaders has called upon the Trump administration and Congress to reverse course on tariffs and other economically restrictive measures. The letter said many of these have increased costs, disrupted market access, blocked access to labor, and stopped important agricultural research. Combined, these effects were deemed catastrophic.

“Our farmers and ranchers can compete with the world, but they can't compete with the world with a chaotic set of policy circumstances,” said former chief executive of the National Corn Growers Association, Jon Doggett, per The New York Times.

Other signers included Buzz Mattelin, the previous president of the National Barley Growers Association, and Bart Ruth, the previous president of the American Soybean Association.

Domestic agriculture helps people in the U.S. meet their dietary needs. Collapse of the industry would also create steep economic and cultural loss. The challenges imposed by government policy are compounded by a wildly erratic climate.

Existing and ongoing pollution is trapping heat in the atmosphere, which exacerbates destructive weather trends. This includes floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires, all of which pose existential threats to farmers. These weather shifts have also introduced new opportunities for the proliferation of pests, which could obliterate staple crops.

“Congress needs to assert itself on behalf of farmers if we are to avoid a widespread collapse of American agriculture and our rural communities,” the letter said.

The letter recommended nine actions to alleviate the pressure on American farmers. These included exempting farm inputs from tariffs, supporting more trade agreements, and restoring funding to agricultural research.

While institutional action is needed, there are individual actions that can be taken.

• Adopting a plant‑based diet can ensure cropland is being used efficiently to feed people.

• Switching to an electric vehicle (EV) can cut the demand for ethanol otherwise used in running a traditional car. Ethanol production uses up roughly 40 % of America’s corn production.