A Wisconsin agronomist is challenging proposed solutions presented to Congress on how to address the nation’s agriculture crisis.
A bipartisan group of industry leaders sent a letter to Congress this month warning of a potential widespread collapse of American agriculture. They called on lawmakers to exempt farm inputs from tariffs, among other proposals.
Success Okafor, policy fellow and agricultural economist at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, argued tariffs are only part of a larger picture.
"Tariffs are not the real issue. Tariffs exposed weaknesses; they didn't create them," Okafor contended. "If tariffs were the only problem, fixing trade policy would solve it. But even without tariffs, U.S. farmers are losing competitiveness."
Okafor added it is a structural problem, not just a trade dispute. He emphasized systemic reform rather than temporary solutions is what is required.
Okafor noted as farm bankruptcies are rising, profitability is collapsing, exposing a system built on monocultures and input dependency. He stressed Wisconsin and Midwest farmers can survive and even thrive during market crashes by selling directly to consumers, diversifying production and getting paid for sustainable land management.
"Regenerative agriculture isn't ideology, it's risk management," Okafor said. "And if Congress wants to prevent collapse, it must invest in resilience."
The Department of Agriculture recently announced a $700 million regenerative agriculture pilot program. Okafor believes the program could be transformative but risks repeating exclusionary patterns if poorly designed. He underscored American agriculture must be capable of withstanding future challenges rather than attempting to return to previous industry conditions.
"The question isn't whether we can afford to invest in regenerative agriculture, it is whether we can afford not to," Okafor added.
