Across rural America, farmers are facing deepening challenges that threaten not just their livelihoods, but the long-term sustainability of U.S. agriculture. Once regarded as the backbone of the nation, America’s farming communities have been battered in recent years by a perfect storm of global disruptions, COVID-19, volatile trade policies, foreign market dependencies, and the commoditization of crops like genetically modified (GM) corn. Together, these pressures reveal a sobering truth: the American farmer is in trouble.

The COVID Wake-Up Call

The pandemic was a breaking point. COVID-19 exposed deep vulnerabilities in the U.S. food supply chain, from meatpacking plant shutdowns to transport bottlenecks. Farmers watched their crops rot in fields and their milk poured down drains—not due to lack of demand, but due to logistical chaos from government shutdowns.

Many farms operate on tight margins, and disruptions that prevent products from reaching markets can be financially devastating. While government aid temporarily patched some wounds, it did not address the structural fragility the pandemic exposed. The lesson? A robust food system requires local processing capacity, diverse supply chains, and more flexible markets, not just federal bailouts.

Tariffs and Trade Wars: Collateral Damage

Under the Trump administration, U.S. farmers became unintentional casualties of a high-stakes trade war with China. In retaliation for American tariffs, China slapped tariffs on U.S. soybeans, pork, and other agricultural products. For Midwestern farmers who rely heavily on exports to China, this was a body blow.

Billions in federal subsidies were issued to offset the losses, but these payments offered short-term relief without addressing long-term market uncertainty. The key takeaway? When agriculture becomes a pawn in geopolitical conflicts, farmers, who cannot pivot quickly to new markets bear the brunt of the pain as a result.

The Chinese Market Dependency

Even after tensions cooled, many U.S. farmers remained deeply dependent on China. In fact, China is the top importer of U.S. agricultural goods, especially soybeans and corn. While this trade relationship has propped up prices at times, it also leaves American farmers vulnerable to political whims and international leverage.

There’s a broader concern, too: China has been quietly buying up American farmland and investing in agricultural infrastructure. Critics warn that this could lead to foreign influence over critical parts of the U.S. food supply chain. Policymakers are now taking a closer look at foreign land ownership and advocating for stricter oversight. It is no wonder why American Farmland has hit record high prices recently.

The Problem with GMO Corn (and Commodity Farming)

Corn is king in the U.S. But not all corn is created equal. Much of the corn grown in America isn’t for eating directly, but for ethanol, animal feed, or processed into syrup and other additives (the GMO corn in processed foods). These genetically modified, high-yield corn varieties dominate vast stretches of farmland, reinforcing a monoculture system that is both environmentally and economically risky.

Commodity farming, which emphasizes maximum yield over diversification, has made farmers heavily reliant on chemical inputs and vulnerable to price swings on global markets.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The cumulative lessons from COVID, tariffs, and trade reliance are clear:

• Diversification matters. From crops to markets, overconcentration is a risk.
• Local processing capacity needs rebuilding. Farmers should not have to depend on faraway plants or foreign buyers to make a profit.
• Resilient policies beat reactive bailouts. Rather than one-off subsidies, long-term investments in infrastructure, education, and research are needed.
• National food security must be prioritized. This includes prioritizing domestic ownership of farmland and rethinking agricultural exports as a strategic asset.

Conclusion

The American farmer stands at a crossroads. After years of crisis, it’s time to rethink how we value food production, who controls it, and how we support those who grow it. The next farm bill, and the next round of trade talks, should reflect not just economic calculations, but the lessons learned the hard way: real security starts in the soil.