Agriculture in the U.S. on the Brink: Former Leaders Blame Tariffs, Labor Shortages, and Research Cuts for Pushing Farms into the Worst Crisis in Decades

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 04/02/2026 at 10:54

Updated on 04/02/2026 at 11:05

Carta de ex-líderes do setor alerta o Congresso sobre risco de colapso da agricultura nos EUA devido a tarifas, custos altos e cortes em pesquisa.

Be the first to react!

Document Sent to Congress by 27 Former Leaders of the Agricultural Sector and Former Members of Republican Governments Warn That Tariffs, Rising Costs, Loss of Markets, Lack of Labor, and Cuts in Research May Trigger a Widespread Collapse of Agriculture in the U.S.

The agriculture in the U.S. faces the risk of widespread collapse, according to a letter sent this Tuesday by 27 former leaders of the Department of Agriculture and leaders of rural associations to the Congress, warning that current economic policies have raised costs, reduced markets, affected labor, and weakened agricultural research.

Bipartisan Letter Warns of Cumulative Impacts on Agriculture in the U.S.

The document was sent to the presidents and opposing members of the agricultural committees of the House and the Senate.

It gathers signatures from former leaders of representative associations of corn and soybean producers as well as former members of previous Republican governments.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Economic Policies Are Identified as the Central Factor of the Crisis

While acknowledging multiple structural causes for the difficulties in the field, the former leaders assert that decisions from the current administration, combined with inaction from the Congress, have raised agricultural input costs and disorganized both domestic and international markets.

The letter also emphasizes that agriculture in the U.S. has lost reliable access to the necessary labor for its operations.

Additionally, there has been a reduction in resources allocated to agricultural research and to the technical staff responsible for supporting producers and innovation.

Proposals Submitted to Congress to Reverse the Situation

The signatories advocate for urgent legislative measures to curb the advancement of the crisis. Among them is the relaxation of tariffs applied to the agricultural sector and the expansion of access to international markets for American products.

The group also calls for the passage of a new farm bill, along with the restoration of funding for agricultural research and technical personnel.

According to the document, these actions are essential to restore predictability and competitiveness to the sector.

Sector Leadership Calls for Open Debate on Agriculture in the U.S.

Jon Doggett, former executive director of the National Corn Growers Association and one of the signatories, stated that farmers and ranchers can compete globally, but not in an environment marked by chaotic and unstable policies.

Doggett explained that the letter emerged from informal conversations among retired colleagues concerned about the effects of current economic policies.

He warned that the sector has not been discussing the subject openly and significantly.

According to him, the signatories aim to broaden the dialogue, allowing for disagreements, to advance initiatives that meet the interests of farmers and ranchers across the country, strengthening agriculture in the U.S. amid current difficulties.

Agriculture in the U.S. on the Brink: Former Leaders Blame Tariffs, Labor Shortages, and Research Cuts for Pushing Farms into the Worst Crisis in Decades

Document Sent to Congress by 27 Former Leaders of the Agricultural Sector and Former Members of Republican Governments Warn That Tariffs, Rising Costs, Loss of Markets, Lack of Labor, and Cuts in Research May Trigger a Widespread Collapse of Agriculture in the U.S.

Bipartisan Letter Warns of Cumulative Impacts on Agriculture in the U.S.

Economic Policies Are Identified as the Central Factor of the Crisis

Proposals Submitted to Congress to Reverse the Situation

Sector Leadership Calls for Open Debate on Agriculture in the U.S.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Portugal installs two giant underwater sockets to draw water from the Atlantic and create a €107.9 million desalination plant in the Algarve capable of producing 43.2 million liters of potable water per day with ocean intake 2 km from the coast.

Christmas trees thrown away become a natural barrier in Alabama, where teams repurpose thousands of pines on the beaches of Gulf Shores to trap sand, rebuild dunes, and protect houses against storms and hurricanes for almost four decades.

Fiat Strada Turbo addresses the lack of power in the 1.3 versions with an engine of up to 130 hp, CVT transmission, and Sport mode, but evaluation reveals that the best-selling pickup truck in Brazil could still offer better braking, a larger screen, and more comfort for rear passengers.

Cane fences become a natural wall in Catalonia, where researchers and residents use sand traps on the beaches to capture sediments, rebuild dunes, and protect cities after Sant Pere Pescador lost 50 meters of coastline in 50 years.

While Brazil has been discussing the Rio-São Paulo bullet train for 30 years, India drilled 14 km of rock at an altitude of 3,000 m and in June completed the largest bi-directional road tunnel in Asia.

Archaeologists open a 2,300-year-old tomb near the Great Wall of Qin and find a bronze bottle with preserved ancient beer.

Agriculture in the U.S. on the Brink: Former Leaders Blame Tariffs, Labor Shortages, and Research Cuts for Pushing Farms into the Worst Crisis in Decades

Document Sent to Congress by 27 Former Leaders of the Agricultural Sector and Former Members of Republican Governments Warn That Tariffs, Rising Costs, Loss of Markets, Lack of Labor, and Cuts in Research May Trigger a Widespread Collapse of Agriculture in the U.S.

Bipartisan Letter Warns of Cumulative Impacts on Agriculture in the U.S.

Economic Policies Are Identified as the Central Factor of the Crisis

Proposals Submitted to Congress to Reverse the Situation

Sector Leadership Calls for Open Debate on Agriculture in the U.S.

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Portugal installs two giant underwater sockets to draw water from the Atlantic and create a €107.9 million desalination plant in the Algarve capable of producing 43.2 million liters of potable water per day with ocean intake 2 km from the coast.

Christmas trees thrown away become a natural barrier in Alabama, where teams repurpose thousands of pines on the beaches of Gulf Shores to trap sand, rebuild dunes, and protect houses against storms and hurricanes for almost four decades.

Cane fences become a natural wall in Catalonia, where researchers and residents use sand traps on the beaches to capture sediments, rebuild dunes, and protect cities after Sant Pere Pescador lost 50 meters of coastline in 50 years.

Archaeologists open a 2,300-year-old tomb near the Great Wall of Qin and find a bronze bottle with preserved ancient beer.

Swiss nanodevice generates continuous electricity from the evaporation of saltwater, using a three-layer structure, silicon nanopillars, and the combined effect of heat and sunlight to produce autonomous energy for applications such as environmental sensors, wearables, and the Internet of Things.

A giant crater discovered in the interior of Piauí revealed, after decades of studies, a rare meteorite impact that transformed the region and impressed scientists worldwide.

Christmas trees thrown away become a natural barrier in Alabama, where teams repurpose thousands of pines on the beaches of Gulf Shores to trap sand, rebuild dunes, and protect houses against storms and hurricanes for almost four decades.

Fiat Strada Turbo addresses the lack of power in the 1.3 versions with an engine of up to 130 hp, CVT transmission, and Sport mode, but evaluation reveals that the best-selling pickup truck in Brazil could still offer better braking, a larger screen, and more comfort for rear passengers.

Cane fences become a natural wall in Catalonia, where researchers and residents use sand traps on the beaches to capture sediments, rebuild dunes, and protect cities after Sant Pere Pescador lost 50 meters of coastline in 50 years.

While Brazil has been discussing the Rio-São Paulo bullet train for 30 years, India drilled 14 km of rock at an altitude of 3,000 m and in June completed the largest bi-directional road tunnel in Asia.

Archaeologists open a 2,300-year-old tomb near the Great Wall of Qin and find a bronze bottle with preserved ancient beer.