WASHINGTON (November 10, 2022) – Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) hailed the signing of the National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture, which will allow the federal government to identify the threats facing our food supply and enhance national preparedness and response.
“Our agricultural sector faces a variety of threats that could inhibit cattle producers’ ability to bring beef from pasture to plate,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall. “NCBA appreciates the Biden administration’s focus on identifying threats and developing new ways to mitigate them. Together, we can protect our industry while ensuring that all Americans have access to wholesome foods like beef.”
The memorandum instructs top government officials, including the Secretaries of State, Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to identify threats to the food and agriculture sector and coordinate with federal, state, local, and tribal governments to develop responses.
Ahead of the memorandum signing, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall attended a pre-briefing at the White House yesterday that included discussion of key security issues for the cattle industry—tools like the National Veterinary Stockpile, which helps prevent the spread of disease and aids recovery, and cybersecurity and worker training programs that support the continued operations of other members of the beef supply chain.
“I am particularly pleased to hear that the administration is making security and resiliency decisions based on data. These data-driven decisions are the ones we can support,” said Woodall.
View the full memorandum here and the White House fact sheet here.
