ALEC policy experts discuss the coming food crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine and the policy options state lawmakers and governors have.

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) policy directors Karla Jones and Joe Trotter joined host Mike Hayes of WIZM radio in La Crosse, WI this week to talk about the coming food crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine and the policy options state lawmakers and governors have.

Host Mike Hayes: Welcome to the show. I want to talk about how states can take care of themselves and not rely on the federal government. What are you suggesting that governors and state legislators consider to help fend off the coming food crisis?

Joe Trotter, ALEC Director of Energy, Environment and Agriculture:

It really involves a lot of deregulation. There are lots of agricultural regulations currently in place that wind up hurting American farmers and down the road consumers will see greater prices on store shelves, more scarcity.

Host Mike Hayes:

If governors were to simply get out their red pen and make some scratch marks on currently existing regulations, you know that you’re going to hear people screaming, “What do you mean deregulate? Now we’ve got foxes watching the hen house?”

Karla Jones, ALEC Director of Federalism and International Relations:

Deregulation would go a long way towards helping. We ought to also look at adding fertilizer to critical items that we need.  One of the untold stories is this is Russia is one of the largest exporters of fertilizer. Now how are American farmers going to get fertilizers?

Host Mike Hayes:

I had no idea that Ukraine was so high in the in the number of agriculture exports, number one in the world for sunflower and sunflower oil, number two with barley production number four with barley exports, the largest export fourth largest exporter of corn. And Russia and Ukraine together account for a third of the wheat and barley exports.

America is going to be really hungry if we don’t make some changes. Once again, you’re suggesting that in the United States we can feed ourselves if we can eliminate some of the goverment over regulation.

Joe Trotter, ALEC Director of Energy, Environment and Agriculture:

The simple reality is that people need to be fed. Russia is one of the top fertilizer exporters in the world. If you talk to local farmers, depending on the size of their farm, some are seeing, three times the cost to fertilize for their crops. We’re going to see food prices increase across the board for at least the next six months. Prices are going to go through the roof. Coupled with inflation and fuel shortages, it’s a mess for American farmers right now.

Host Mike Hayes:

It’s very important that people listening this morning get in touch with their legislators and let them know before the growing season starts here in Wisconsin.

Karla Jones, ALEC Director of Federalism and International Relations:

It’s really countries in the Middle East and Africa that are going to suffer from this. In the case of Sudan, they get 80 percent of their wheat from Ukraine. And so they’re looking at a famine they could engulf half of their population. And if you want to understand how that would have ramifications on the United States, just remember that Osama bin Laden set of residence in two failed states, Sudan and Afghanistan, before attacking the United States on 9-11.

Click here to listen to the full radio interview on WIZM radio: