agriculture economy, public health, national defense, bioterrorism, food supply threats Transcript Now as a fifth generation farm kid, I learned how agriculture underpins our economic stability, our public health, our national defense, our geopolitical autonomy, and our rural way of life. It contributes $1.5 trillion to GDP and supports over 22 million jobs, yet we often take it for granted. Our farmers, our ranches, our food supply chains face grave threats, specifically bioterrorism, procurement disruptions, and foreign ownerships. A virus like COVID, which was made in a lab, could target our beef and dairy cattle industry next, or a fungus could devastate our wheat and our corn. Whether it's from nature or made in a laboratory by a Fordham adversary, these risks demand vigilance.
