U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Debbie Stabenow have introduced the Food Security is National Security Act of 2017 to give top U.S. agriculture and food officials permanent representation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

“As we think about the future and the growing global population, it’s important to consider who will control the food supply. Today, there may not be a food shortage in the world, only distribution problems that are more the result of politics not logistics, but in the decades to come, it may be a different story,” said Grassley, an Iowa Republican. “The approval by CFIUS of the sale of U.S. agricultural assets seem more focused on the present state of the food industry instead of the future supply situation. We owe it to our farmers and Americans who rely on farmers to grow their food to be more strategic. Especially as countries around the world are making moves to ensure adequate supplies.”

“Protecting the integrity, safety, and resiliency of America’s food system is core to our national security,” said Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat. “As foreign entities continue their aggressive acquisitions of U.S. food and agriculture companies, it’s imperative that these transactions face additional scrutiny. This bill ensures that the U.S. has the appropriate tools and people in place to safeguard America’s food security, food safety, biosecurity, and the highly competitive U.S. farm sector as a whole.” 

CFIUS is a panel of government officials tasked with reviewing proposed mergers and acquisitions of U.S. companies, including foreign entities seeking to purchase U.S. agricultural and food assets. The job of CFIUS is to assess whether or not transactions initiated by foreign entities threaten to impair U.S. national security interests. Currently, CFIUS does not include permanent representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—the two departments of government with primary responsibility for safeguarding the integrity, resiliency, and quality of the nation's food supply. 

What does the legislation do?

Key agriculture stakeholders also understand the importance of bringing an agricultural perspective to the CFIUS review process. Two of the largest farm organizations, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, support the Food Security is National Security Act of 2017, echoing the call to evaluate the potential effects of mergers and acquisitions in agriculture. 

“Monitoring and evaluating the effects of mergers and acquisitions in agriculture as well as food production and distribution is critical and the Secretary of Agriculture would bring vital knowledge to the table,” said Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation president.

Source: Chuck Grassley