The report issued by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) cautioned that China’s attempts to bolster its agricultural sector not just pose an economic challenge yet a threat to U.S. security.
China’s failure to secure enough domestic production to feed its mammoth population means it has looked to nations like the U.S. to acquire farmland, livestock, equipment and intellectual property – in some cases through theft.
"The United States is a global leader in all of these fields, making it a prime trading partner and often a target of China’s efforts to strengthen its agriculture sector and food security, sometimes through illicit means," the report declared.
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China is looking to control the genetically modified seed industry, which has the potential for massive economic windfalls.
Advancing Beijing’s seed stockpiles would not only reduce its dependence on countries like the U.S., it could make it a big competitor in the global market.
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The USCC report discovered that the U.S. exported $1.62 billion worth of seeds, primarily vegetables, corn, soybeans and grasses, in 2020.
In 2021, $173.9 million of exported seeds were sold to China alone, which equated to roughly 15% of total exports.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed the agricultural industry to expand its seed collection as he looks to cut China’s reliance on foreign resources.
Instead of directing its resources for development and research in domestic seed innovations, spying has become a principal tool for its agriculture industry.
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"Acquiring U.S. trade secrets through agricultural espionage has become a convenient way for China to improve its agricultural output and become more competitive in global markets," the report discovered. "Agricultural IP theft could enable Chinese agribusinesses to undercut U.S. competitors on international seed markets."
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Yet outside the economic woes Beijing could inflict on the U.S. lies an even more ominous threat on U.S. food production.
Genetically engineered seeds help to circumvent the unpredictable reality the agriculture industry faces every season by mitigating the risk of drought, pests and diseases.
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Though the technology behind genetically modifying a crop can save a farming season, it can further be utilized to target engineered crops.
"One vulnerability of genetically modified seeds is their limited genetic variation. Consequently, a virus or fungus engineered to kill a genetically modified plant could wipe out an entire crop with no genetic variation to mitigate the losses," the report discovered.
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House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Rep. Glenn Thompson told Fox News "food security is national security" and announced the USCC report revealed that the U.S. needs to take tougher stances to safeguard U.S. intellectual property and the agricultural industry.
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