Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the memorandum on Feb. 11 to coordinate on safeguarding farmland, food systems and supply chain vulnerabilities.
- Defense officials said USDA will gain access to DARPA capabilities, and a separate memorandum between DARPA and USDA’s chief scientist establishes a direct path for joint research.
- Hegseth said the partnership brings agriculture into the national security framework to protect against terror attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.
- Rollins warned of foreign interference through cyberattacks, technology theft and purchases of U.S. farmland, citing an estimate that China holds about 265,000 acres.
- DARPA pointed to its Guardian program, which aims to counter non‑native pests such as the New World Screwworm, as an example of work relevant to farm security.