05/05/2026
OP-EDS: Mike Claflin: Food security is national security
“At a moment when national attention is fixed on the administration’s international maneuvers, we risk overlooking a domestic issue that will shape the stability of our food system for the next decade: the stalled federal Farm Bill. For those of us committed to strengthening regional food systems and supporting the people who sustain them, this inaction is more than a bureaucratic delay — it is a direct threat to farmers, rural economies, and the nation’s long-term food security.
The Farm Bill is a comprehensive, multiyear law that governs nearly every aspect of American food and agriculture. It provides essential funding for crop insurance, environmental conservation, and nutrition assistance — programs that form the backbone of national food security and the economic stability of rural communities. By design, Congress is responsible for drafting, reauthorizing, and overseeing this legislation every five years to maintain a reliable food safety net. Yet partisan disagreements over nutrition assistance spending, conservation funding levels, and commodity price supports have derailed long-term reauthorization, resulting instead in a series of short-term extensions that leave farmers without clarity or confidence.
Meanwhile, community bankers across the country report that crop producers are experiencing severe financial distress. Production costs substantially exceed projected revenues, and the recently announced $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance package for row crops and specialty crops falls far short of what is needed. Many in the agricultural sector argue that meaningful relief would require a package one to two times larger to stabilize farm operations through the current economic pressures.
There are clear, practical steps Congress can take. The next Farm Bill should include an increase in USDA guaranteed farm loan limits — to $3.5 million for farm real estate and $3 million for operating loans — to reflect the true cost of modern agriculture. It should also avoid expanding Farm Credit System authorities into broad, non-farm financing, which risks diverting resources away from the producers the system was created to serve. And lawmakers should reject any cuts to crop insurance, which farmers, agribusinesses, lenders, and policymakers widely agree is the linchpin of the farm safety net and essential to the economic, food, and fiber security of both urban and rural America.
To encourage a new generation of farmers, the Farm Bill can prioritize land access and affordability by increasing funding for beginning farmer loan programs, offering tax incentives for land transitions between retiring and new producers, and expanding technical assistance for navigating complex federal programs.
Congress must act swiftly. Farmers cannot plan, invest, or endure mounting financial pressures without a stable policy framework. At a time of global uncertainty, ensuring the strength of our domestic food system should be a national priority — not an afterthought.” - New Hampshire Union Leader
Mike Claflin lives in Sugar Hill.
