President Donald Trump appears to upend 85 years of partnership The relationship between American farmers and the exercise of American power around the world. But those ties have been weakening since the end of the Cold War, and Trump’s move is just another step forward.
During World War II, the U.S. government tied agriculture to foreign policy, using taxpayer dollars to buy food from American farmers and then shipping it to hungry allies abroad. This agricultural diplomacy continued into the Cold War through programs such as Agricultural Diplomacy. Marshall Plan Rebuilding European Agriculture, peace food ship excess U.S. grain to hungry allies, and USAIDDesigned to make food aid and agricultural development a permanent part of U.S. foreign policy.
During this period, the United States also participated in multinational partnerships to develop global production targets and trade guidelines to facilitate the international movement of food—including the United Nations’ food and agriculture organizationthis international wheat agreement and general agreement on tariffs and trade.
When American farmers faced a labor shortage, the federal government created a guest worker program to provide critical labor to the fields, often from Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
At the end of World War II, the U.S. government recognized that farmers could not prosper solely by relying on domestic farm subsidies, including yield restrictions, price supports, and crop insurance. The well-being of American farmers instead depends on the rest of the world.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump Disband USAID. His government also Harsh detention and deportation Suspect non-citizen Live and work in the United States, including farm workers. he imposed Tariffs leading to retaliation from U.S. trading partnersreducing international demand for U.S. agricultural products.
Trump’s actions include: Diplomacy and agricultural transformation My research began in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Feed the world, save the farm
Even before the founding of the country, America’s farmers depended on international networks of labor, flora and fauna, and trade for their livelihoods.
cotton were the most prominent early examples of these relationships, and by the 19th century wheat Farmers rely on expanding transportation network to move goods domestic and overseas.
But the worry is International trade can create economic uncertainty Limiting U.S. farmers’ interest in overseas markets. The Great Depression of the 1930s heightened skepticism about international markets, and many farmers and policy makers Considered the main cause of economic recession.
World War II forced them to change their views. this Lend-Lease Act, passed in March 1941Designed to keep the United States out of the war by providing supplies, weapons, and equipment to Britain and its allies. Importantly for farmers, the bill created a surge in demand for food.
After Congress declared war in December 1941, the need to feed U.S. and Allied forces overseas drove rising demand for agricultural products. food is important In addition to meeting wartime needs: for example, the Soviet Union made special requests butter. American soldier writes about special bond forged by seeing milk and eggs From home dairies, Europeans who received food under Lend-Lease embraced it Large can of condensed milk With sky blue labels, as if they were talismans.
another war ends
Despite their important contributions to the war effort, American farmers feared that familiar patterns of postwar economic decline would repeat themselves once Germany and Japan surrendered.
(As soon as the war ended in the summer of 1945, Congress drastically reduced grain purchases, satisfying farmers’ fears of economic collapse. In 1946, CongressWeak response to growing overseas food demand.
Congress took no further action until 1948, when it recognized that communism was growing in appeal in Europe as postwar reconstruction efforts were underfunded. this Marshall PlanA stronger commitment to food and other resources was intended to counter Soviet influence.
Shipping American food overseas through postwar recovery and development programs led to a surge in farm income. It demonstrated that foreign markets could create prosperity for American farmers, and the importance of food and agriculture to postwar reconstruction in Europe and Asia cemented their importance in U.S. foreign policy.
Peasants in the modern world
Farmers’ contributions to the Cold War enhanced their cultural and political importance in a rapidly industrializing and urbanizing America. Midwest Farm Becomes symbol of ambition After World War II, the U.S. State Department used it to encourage European refugees to immigrate to the United States.
American farmers volunteer to participate Become an amateur diplomat and share methods and techniques with your agricultural peers around the world.
By the 1950s, delegations of Soviet officials began traveling to the Midwest, including that of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev Visiting Iowa in 1959. american farmer and in return paid a visit to the Soviet Union. Young Americans raised on farms emigrate Live with a host familyutilizing their property and informally sharing American agricultural methods. American farmers are convinced that their land and technology are superior to their overseas counterparts feel obligated Share their wisdom with the rest of the world.
disintegration of the soviet union Undermining the central purpose of U.S. agricultural diplomacy. but Global demand for meat continues to grow The 1990s helped make up some of the difference.
U.S. farmers switch crops from wheat corn and soybeans Feeding growing numbers of livestock around the world. They used the newly available Genetically engineered seeds This promises unprecedented yields.
Expect these shifts to bring economic benefits to U.S. farmers Sees no need to maintain international cooperation during the Cold WarAfterwards, the U.S. government changed its trade policy from global trade cooperation to competition.
The George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations enacted North American Free Trade Agreement and WTO to replace general agreement on trade and tariffs. they assume The Past Preeminence of the American Farmer meeting Continue to increase agricultural income Even as global economic forces change.
But U.S. farmers face rising seed and fertilizer costs and new international competitors Such as Brazil. With their competitive advantage diminished and Cold War-era cooperation infrastructure lost, U.S. farmers now face more volatile global markets that may require Government provides more support through subsidies Rather than bringing prosperity through commerce.
These include the Trump administration’s announcement in December 2025 $12 billion to aid farmers. As Trump’s trade wars continue, they suggest the U.S. government is no longer nurturing global agricultural markets where U.S. farmers enjoy trade advantages or government protections—even if they retain some cultural and political significance in the 21st century.
Peter Simmonshistory lecturer, hamilton college
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