INTERVIEW FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2025 87 and end product prices increased and production was disrupted. What do you think should be the right approach and way to avoid similar supply problems and their consequences? The problem isn’t China. The real issue is that we’ve built a system that actively discourages companies from producing feed additives here in the U.S. We’ve tied our own hands with excessive regulations, high production costs, and a permitting process that makes building new chemical plants nearly impossible. As a result, businesses have had no choice but to source from overseas, where production is easier, faster, and more cost-effective. If we’re serious about securing our food production, we have to stop treating this as a China problem and start fixing what’s broken within our own system. We need to bring in best practices from overseas—countries that have successfully developed their own feed additive industries—and apply those lessons here. Nations like Brazil and parts of Europe have found ways to balance regulation with industrial growth. They have more flexible permitting processes, government-backed incentives, and public-private partnerships that encourage businesses to invest in local production. If they can do it, why can’t we? The right approach starts with incentivizing domestic manufacturing. Instead of just imposing tariffs on Chinese imports, we should be offering tax credits, grants, and low-interest loans to companies willing to build vitamin and amino acid production facilities in the U.S. We should also be streamlining EPA and other regulatory processes to make it easier for these plants to get off the ground. Right now, it takes years to get approvals for a new chemical facility—by the time a company clears the red tape, it’s often more economical to just import from China. That has to change. Beyond that, we should be investing in alternative supply chains and next-generation feed technologies. The world is moving toward fermentation-based amino acids, synthetic vitamins, and alternative proteins—the U.S. should be leading that innovation, not just buying it from others. If we commit to developing these solutions domestically, we won’t just reduce reliance on China—we’ll become a global leader in feed technology. And let’s be clear: Food security is national security. If we can’t control the production of essential feed ingredients, we put our entire livestock sector—and by extension, our food system—at risk. Relying on other countries for something as fundamental as animal nutrition is a dangerous position to be in. So no, tariffs and regulations alone won’t fix this. What we need is a complete overhaul of how we support domestic production, bringing in the best global practices, eliminating roadblocks for manufacturers, and making food security a national priority. If we get this right, we won’t have to depend on anyone else—we’ll be able to produce everything we need, right here at home. Is there anything else you would like to add? Absolutely. This isn’t just an abstract policy debate for me—it’s something I’ve been directly involved in, sitting down with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, discussing these very challenges face-to-face. The conversations weren’t about politics, they were about real-world consequences—what happens when supply chains break down, when producers can’t get the additives they need, when costs spiral and the entire industry is left scrambling for solutions. The U.S. animal nutrition industry has everything it takes to remain a global leader, but we must act now. We need the government to facilitate investments in domestic production, the industry to adopt new technologies that replace imported additives, and sector associations to mobilize in ensuring a sustainable and secure future for American animal production. One thing is clear: we can’t afford to wait. The U.S. has the talent, the resources, and the innovation to take control of its own agricultural supply chain. What we need now is the right leadership, the right policies, and the right mindset to turn that potential into reality. That’s why I’m in these discussions—not just to talk, but to push for solutions that make a real impact.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==