US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on 22 July told a Senate panel that Chinese ownership of American agricultural assets, growing dependence on foreign supply chains, and sweeping corporate consolidation have left the US food system dangerously exposed — framing food security as a matter of national survival.

Key Allegations Before Congress

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Rollins warned that America had hollowed out its own farming base by shifting food production overseas and allowing processing, fertiliser, and seed industries to fall into the hands of a shrinking pool of corporations. 'As long as we are beholden to foreign and even hostile countries for our food and our fuel, our freedom is in jeopardy,' she said.

Rollins noted that nearly 85 per cent of US meat-packing capacity is now controlled by just four companies, two of which are foreign-owned. She specifically flagged Chinese ownership in the pork sector. 'Additionally, our largest pork company in America is owned by a China company, or China,' she told lawmakers.

Consolidation Across Fertilisers and Seeds

The concentration of market power extends well beyond meat processing. According to Rollins, just four fertiliser companies now account for 78 per cent of US production — a dramatic narrowing from dozens of businesses operating several decades ago. Similarly, only two seed companies supply more than half of all seed used across the country. 'These are national security implications,' she said.

The $87.6 Billion Funding Request

Rollins was appearing in support of President Donald Trump's $87.6 billion supplemental funding request, a package combining military, agricultural, humanitarian, and other spending. The agricultural component includes $10 billion in temporary relief for row-crop and speciality-crop producers, along with a further $1.1 billion for farmers hit by severe freezes during the previous winter.

She described the assistance as a short-term bridge while the administration pursues longer-term goals of rebuilding domestic production and reducing reliance on overseas supply chains. 'For the sake of American national security, American existence, and the American future, we must in the long run end this system that has grown up like a weed and strangled the American farmland and food production,' Rollins said.

Trade Deficit and Recent Progress

Rollins disclosed that the United States became a significant net importer of food for the first time in 2023, and subsequently recorded an agricultural trade deficit of $50 billion — a development she attributed in part to the absence of new trade agreements before Trump returned to office. She said the administration had since secured 19 trade agreements and reduced the agricultural trade deficit by 42 per cent in one year. Corn exports are expected to reach record levels, with ethanol, dairy, and tree-nut exports also climbing.

Bipartisan Concern on Food and National Security

Republican Senator Mike Rounds echoed Rollins's concerns, linking food security directly to national security. He argued that foreign adversaries, cyberthreats, industry consolidation, and unfair trade practices collectively threaten the capacity of American farmers to produce food, fuel, and fibre. This comes amid ongoing friction in the broader Washington–Beijing economic relationship, with agricultural trade — spanning soybeans, grains, and meat — remaining a recurring flashpoint. Notably, China is among the largest participants in global agricultural markets, making the question of ownership and dependency particularly charged.