New bill targets cybersecurity in agriculture sector

Feb 05, 2024

By: Farms.com

In a significant move to protect the backbone of America's food supply, a new piece of bipartisan legislation, the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act, has been introduced by members of both the Senate and the House.

This act mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive study every two years on the cybersecurity threats looming over the agriculture and food sectors. The findings will be reported to Congress, aiming to fortify the defenses of these critical infrastructure sectors.

Cyber threats are not just digital—they can have tangible impacts on our daily lives, especially when they target the agriculture and food industries.

Recognizing this, the proposed legislation also includes an innovative approach to readiness: an annual simulation of cross-sector food-related cyber crises.

This simulation, a collaborative effort involving the Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and the Office of National Intelligence, is designed to prepare and protect against potential cyberattacks.

Spearheaded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Sens. Tom Cotton and Kristen Gillibrand, along with Reps. Brad Finstad and Elissa Slotkin, the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act is a testament to the urgency of addressing cyber vulnerabilities in sectors vital to national security.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has voiced strong support for the legislation, recognizing the paramount importance of cybersecurity in protecting the nation’s food supply chain and, by extension, American farmers.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, this legislation represents a proactive step towards ensuring the resilience and security of America's agriculture and food sectors.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.