How Tariffs Are Impacting Your Food Supply: What You Need to Know

To the editor:

Who will replace the migrant workers that harvest our crops and help distribute our food? Farmers are facing huge challenges. Costs are rising, and many customers have disappeared due to tariffs. These tariffs have not only affected exports but also sparked trade conflicts, causing a shake-up in global markets. Many farmers now depend on government aid and subsidies just to keep going.

Grain prices have been falling recently. For instance, soybeans—essential for Midwest farms—have dropped 34% in value on the global market. After peaking before the pandemic, farm incomes are now softer. We need to support our farmers and local businesses, as our health depends on it.

Moreover, recent budget cuts have hit scientific research and sustainability efforts hard. This poses a serious threat to our country’s food security. As a healthcare professional, I see the risks firsthand: consumers may face unsafe food, while farmers deal with pests that threaten their crops, not to mention the looming threat of climate change.

It’s a troubling time, and I worry about how to ensure my family has safe food to eat here in Lee County.

Kathleen Callard, RNBS

North Fort Myers

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