Suspected CCP Agents Charged in Plot to Destroy American Crops
Key Takeaways
Suspected Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents were charged with smuggling an agricultural pathogen into the U.S. this week.
The potential biological weapon was a fungus that destroys other plants, including some of America’s most important food crops.
If deployed, this disease could impact our entire food supply chain.
This act is clear evidence that the CCP is working to sabotage America’s food supply.
The government must take immediate action to stop these threats and protect American food production. We’ve outlined four solutions officials can enact now.
CCP Agents Caught at the U.S. Border with Agroterrorism Weapon
This week, two Chinese nationals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with smuggling “a potential agroterrorism weapon” into the United States. One of the pair is a “loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party.” She used her boyfriend’s connections in the research community to try and smuggle the dangerous, illegal pathogen into the U.S. under the guise of conducting scientific studies at the University of Michigan.
Targeting America’s Most Important Crops
The two Chinese smugglers were caught trying to bring a dangerous fungus known as Fusarium graminearum into the country illegally. The fungus attacks other plants by causing “head blight,” a disease that renders plants inedible. This “noxious fungus” has cost farmers billions of dollars. It is also dangerous to humans and animals, causing “vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects.”
According to the DOJ, the fungus attacks some of this country’s most important crops, including:
Corn – 377.63 million metric tons produced annually or 31% of global production.
Wheat – 53.65 million metric tons produced annually or 7% of global production.
Rice – 7.05 million metric tons produced annually or 1.3% of global production.
Barley – 3.13 million metric tons produced annually or 2% of global production.
Damaging these crop yields would significantly hinder America’s ability to feed citizens here at home (4.2% of the world’s population) or to export food to the rest of the world. The resulting geopolitical shift would give China a huge global advantage in agricultural and food supply chains.
Agroterrorism Impacts Our Entire Food Supply
By destroying America’s most important crops, agroterrorism has potential ramifications on the entire domestic food supply chain, not just the targeted plants. Attacking these harvests would have a downstream effect by making it more difficult to feed U.S. livestock. Simply put, this plot could have also devastated American meat production because these feed grains make up 95% of food for livestock like cows, chickens, and pigs.
We Must Protect American Agriculture
The case for protecting the American agricultural industry could not be clearer. The Chinese Communist Party was just caught red-handed attempting to kill crops in the United States. Lawmakers must take the following four actions immediately.
Step up border screening and law enforcement resources.
Increase federal criminal penalties for agroterrorism.
Protect U.S. manufacturers to ensure we have a functioning supply chain.
End reliance on Chinese agricultural products.
The Protecting America Initiative is already working diligently to raise awareness among state and federal lawmakers. We have outlined specific legislative steps to fight these attacks by the CCP. We will use this blatant evidence to further our mission and protect American agriculture manufacturing and domestic farmers.