Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders took part in a major press conference on Tuesday, July 8, standing alongside top officials from the Trump administration to announce the USDA National Farm Security Action Plan—a sweeping strategy designed to shield American agriculture from foreign interference and economic sabotage. The event, hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), featured remarks from Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and several other national leaders.
The new plan responds to increasing concerns over foreign adversaries—particularly Communist China—attempting to infiltrate and influence U.S. agriculture through land purchases, research exploitation, and cyberattacks on the nation’s food systems.
“We feed the world. We lead the world. And we’ll never let foreign adversaries control our land, our labs, or our livelihoods,” declared Secretary Rollins during the event. “This Action Plan puts America’s farmers, families, and future first—exactly where they belong. Under President Trump’s leadership, American agriculture will be strong, secure, and resilient. He will never stop fighting for our farmers and our ranchers.”
A State Leading by Example
Governor Sanders stood proudly behind the plan, emphasizing Arkansas’ leadership on this issue. “Arkansas led the nation in kicking Communist China off our farmland and out of our state because we understand that farm security is national security,” she said.
Earlier this year, Arkansas passed the Communist China Defense legislative package, which bans land purchases by the Chinese Communist Party near critical infrastructure, prevents state agencies from investing in China, and blocks state-funded institutions from partnering with the CCP on agricultural research. Sanders has been at the forefront of pushing back against foreign influence in rural America.
“Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry,” Sanders said. “Defending Arkansas’ farmers is a top priority for my administration, and I’m proud to work with President Trump and his cabinet to protect our food supply and our freedom.”
Real Threats Demand Real Action
The urgency of the USDA’s plan became more apparent following a recent Justice Department case in which foreign nationals, including a CCP member, were charged with smuggling a dangerous fungus into the U.S.—a potential agroterrorism weapon that has caused billions in crop losses worldwide.
The plan’s release comes in response to these escalating threats. The National Farm Security Action Plan includes seven focus areas:
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Securing U.S. farmland from foreign ownership
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Enhancing agricultural supply chain resilience
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Protecting the nutrition safety net from fraud
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Defending agricultural research and innovation
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Applying America First principles in USDA programs
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Safeguarding plant and animal health
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Protecting critical infrastructure connected to food and agriculture
A Nationwide Effort to Keep Agriculture American
State leaders and federal officials praised the plan and reinforced their commitment to supporting its goals.
“Food policy is national security policy,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “We will never let any other country control our food supply or control our people because we will always be the great United States of America.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville pointed out that Alabama has over 2.2 million acres of foreign-owned land, a vulnerability he said threatens both farmers and national security.
Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee, Governor Jim Pillen of Nebraska, and numerous agriculture commissioners echoed the same message: protecting farmland is protecting America.
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell said, “Protecting our farmland and food systems from foreign influence and biosecurity threats is critical not only to our agricultural economy but to the national security of the United States.”
The USDA’s action plan, supported across party lines and states, will serve as the foundation for continued coordination between federal, state, and local officials—cementing agriculture as a cornerstone of national defense.
“Farm security is national security,” Attorney General Pam Bondi affirmed. “The Department of Justice will continue working to prosecute those who threaten American agriculture, investigate cases of potential agro-terrorism, and protect America’s farmers from illegal threats at home and abroad.”
With this new plan, leaders hope to send a clear message: the safety of American food, farmland, and farmers is no longer just an economic issue—it’s a matter of homeland security.
