At the end of September, Congress must reauthorize or extend the farm bill . This bipartisan bill is critical to promoting prosperity in American agriculture and feeding the world. Our farmers and ranchers not only feed Americans, but they also feed people around the globe. Much of our international influence comes from this seemingly simple but essential daily necessity: food.

The United States is a world leader in agricultural exports, and North Dakota is a net exporter, meaning we grow much more than our state of roughly 775,000 people consumes. You need North Dakota durum wheat for your pasta in Manhattan, edible beans for food aid in Sudan, and soybeans for hog meal in China. With so much of our products going to feed a hungry country and world, it is all the more important we pass a strong farm bill to support our producers.

Agriculture is a capital-intensive and risky business. In North Dakota, 90% of the state’s land mass is tied to farms and ranches, and the average cash expense per farm was $955,496 in 2022 . The farm bill exists to strengthen our agricultural influence by providing stability despite external market fluctuations. This is especially important when producers are forced to spend more money to get a crop in the ground or contend with increased costs of feeding and raising livestock. It should concern every consumer, from low-income and middle-class Americans to coastal elites.

Crop insurance programs in the farm bill are a vital resource, not a bailout, for when the going gets tough. Without it, producers would be unable to overcome the impact of a catastrophic summer storm or flooded fields during harvest. Commodity support programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage help prevent poor market conditions from causing widespread farm bankruptcies. Effective risk management programs are cornerstones of the farm bill, providing more certainty, reducing the need for emergency disaster relief, and ensuring our nation remains an agricultural powerhouse. This significant point of geopolitical influence and domestic security is all done at a bargain to taxpayers. Crop insurance, commodity programs, and other agriculture support structures in the farm bill represent a tiny fraction, just 0.23% , of projected overall spending over the next decade.

Despite the risks and additional challenges nature throws at them, there are no better stewards of the land than our producers. Why would they not be good stewards? Agriculture is a generational, family-based business. Producers have an inherent interest in taking care of their land and ensuring its productivity for generations to come. They know how to balance conservation and productive land use better than any bureaucrat in Washington. Farmers and ranchers fundamentally recognize the importance of healthy land because it is the foundation for their livelihoods.

Across North Dakota, we painstakingly nurture and grow the crops to feed millions. You might not believe those of us in this rectangular blank spot in the middle of North America are deeply connected with the rest of the globe. But I would wager we know it better than most. From soybeans to barley and everything in between, we know diplomacy is more than Washington bureaucrats in perfectly pressed suits and fancy shoes; it’s also farmers in denim and muddy boots.

I have the privilege of being the first North Dakotan to serve on an Armed Services Committee in Congress. I know how important it is to maintain our leadership abroad. When international trade is interrupted by major weather events or wars, such as the conflict in Ukraine, American producers step up to the plate to fill the gaps. American food security is national security and critical to maintaining our position abroad.

Now more than ever, we have to ensure our farmers have the resources they need to be leaders in feeding the world. I will always support strong defense investment and spending, but a balanced foreign policy strategy includes more than tanks and weapons of war. It’s an incredible bargain to taxpayers to spend a tiny fraction of what we spend on defense preventing wars in unstable places. We have a lot more influence abroad when we recognize the strategic importance of our commodities such as energy and food.

Rather than retreating from places and leaving a gap in resources, we can use food to deliver positive American influence and cultivate goodwill. Selling food abroad is one of the most effective tools we have to reduce the need for future military intervention in unstable regions. Bad actors use hungry people as pawns in their geopolitical conquests.

No matter where you are in the world, food does not magically appear on the table. Our agriculture industry is not simply about what shows up at grocery stores, restaurants, and markets. Food is a daily necessity, and our producers depend on consistent support in a strong farm bill. Smart, efficient federal programs allow farmers and ranchers to mitigate risk while maintaining strong food supply chains and promoting American leadership abroad. When we support and assist producers, we enable them to better feed, fuel, and clothe the world.

Kevin Cramer is a U.S. senator for North Dakota.