AFPI Applauds USDA’s FIELDS Program to Rebuild America’s Fertilizer Supply

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) newly announced Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-term Domestic Supply (FIELDS) program, a $500 million effort to expand domestic fertilizer production for American farmers.

The FIELDS program will help build more fertilizer plants here in America, so farmers have more options and don't have to depend so heavily on foreign suppliers for the products they need every planting season.

"American farmers should not have to worry about whether fertilizer will show up on time or at a price they can afford," said Kip Tom, vice chair of Rural Policy at AFPI. "For too long, we've depended on other countries for something as basic as the nutrients that grow our food. USDA's investments are part of a long-term strategy to establish durable U.S. supply chains for agricultural inputs. These are real resources being placed behind strategically selected American-made fertilizer projects that will further bring down input costs and make U.S. food production secure and affordable to consumers."

AFPI has long championed the reshoring of the production of essential goods. Total reliance on foreign nations for items that are essential to protecting American food security is a national security concern. Not only will reshoring the production of fertilizer close the national security loop, but it will create employment opportunities and reduce input costs to farmers and lower consumer food prices. This program will create a stronger and more reliable fertilizer supply for the farmers who feed America.

To learn more about AFPI’s Farmers First Agenda, click here.