U.S. Leadership in Food Biomanufacturing: A National Security Imperative
How emerging biotech can strengthen our food system, boost the economy, and protect America’s future
In April, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) delivered a landmark report to Congress, calling for urgent action to maintain U.S. leadership in biotechnology.
The bipartisan legislative advisory body—created by Congress to advance U.S. biotech and biomanufacturing for national security—recommends a $15 billion investment and whole-of-government strategy to unlock innovation across the United States and maintain an edge over our strategic competitors, including China.
The Commission’s final report highlights the enormous potential for biotech to transform healthcare, energy, and agriculture—while bolstering national security by reducing supply chain risks and strengthening military logistics. It offers a clear roadmap for how the United States can lead in this pivotal domain, with actionable recommendations for Congress and federal agencies. Food and agriculture play a prominent role in the NSCEB’s vision. The Commission writes:
“Future biotechnologies will generate more revenue for American farmers, making our agriculture sector stronger and more sustainable, while increasing the supply of affordable and nutritious food for families across the country.”
Fermentation and cellular agriculture are two biotechnologies poised to play a key role in providing new opportunities to farmers and producers. By boosting resource efficiency and expanding access to nutritious, protein-rich foods (i.e., alternative proteins), these technologies can help American producers meet rising global protein demand with increased sustainability, safety, and economic viability. Thanks to flexible production methods, which can leverage diverse feedstocks and ingredients—from mushrooms on the East Coast to corn in the Midwest to tomatoes on the West Coast—this sector can help grow regional bioeconomies in every corner of our country.
Beyond fueling economic growth and meeting the growing demand for food, advancing food biomanufacturing directly strengthens U.S. national security. Expanding domestic production capabilities enhances supply chain resilience and reduces the risks of agricultural bioterrorism. This is critical given how centralized and vulnerable traditional protein supply chains have become—a reality underscored by recent egg shortages from avian flu outbreaks and meat supply disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Innovative biotechnologies also support warfighter nutrition and enable on-demand food production in challenging environments—reducing dependence on fragile supply chains and increasing operational security. As the NSCEB notes:
“With biotechnology, platoons will be able to synthesize food, munitions, and therapeutics directly on the front lines … instead of relying on materials produced thousands of miles away at home.”
The Department of Defense (DoD) is already investing in fermentation-derived food solutions for field rations and point-of-need production systems. DARPA’s cutting-edge R&D on microbial-origin food and DoD’s targeted investments into food biomanufacturing via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program exemplify this commitment. As the Pentagon has affirmed:
“‘The ability of the U.S. military to project power entails an equally imposing logistical chain to maintain stocks of food, water, medicines, fuel, and other supplies[.]’ … DoD is actively investigating ways critical supplies are procured in addition to creating systems that can rapidly produce materials, including food onsite, when and where they are needed.”
Investing in new food sources not only enhances food security and defense readiness, it enables the United States to compete and lead on the global food system stage. As the Center for Strategic and International Studies observes, “Domestic agricultural strategies—especially those that apply to rising protein demand—will be central to establishing a competitive economic advantage across future global food markets.”
Policy Recommendations to Unlock Food Biotech
Among the Commission’s wide-ranging recommendations for Congress, these six are especially critical for advancing food biomanufacturing and agricultural innovation:
Expand DoD’s Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP) by appropriating at least $762 million over the next five years. DoD identified food production as a key defense priority within the program's comprehensive “5Fs” framework—which prioritizes biotech innovations across food, fuel, fitness, fabrication, and firepower.
Authorize and fund the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Commerce (DOC) to develop a national network of manufacturing facilities for pre-commercial bioindustrial product scale-up, with a specific focus on fermentation and scale-up of food- and agricultural-related products.
Direct DoD to establish advance market commitments (AMCs) and offtake agreements for defense-relevant biotech products. Establishing and expanding DoD’s role as a committed customer for fermentation-derived and other biotech-enabled food products will advance innovation and commercialization success.
Create an Independence Investment Fund within the Department of Commerce for technology startups strengthening U.S. national and economic security—dedicating 30 percent of capital to emerging biotech.
Pass the bipartisan Food Supply Chain Capacity and Resiliency Act, which would expand the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program—helping catalyze biomanufacturing projects that can lower food prices, create rural jobs, and reshore critical food production.
Pass the bipartisan Agriculture Biotechnology Coordination Act and Agriculture and National Security Act, which would create a USDA Office of Biotechnology Policy to coordinate agricultural biotech activities government-wide and establish a USDA senior advisor for national security, respectively.
The Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program:
DoD has unleashed targeted investments in crucial biomanufacturing infrastructure via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP)—including for fermentation-derived food production. Leaders across the national security space have identified the program as a successful model for scaling defense-relevant biotech manufacturing capabilities. According to the NSCEB:
“Sustained funding is critical if this program is to continue supporting and de-risking some of the nation’s most innovative companies, firms that are fielding mission-critical products and processes at the intersection of national security and emerging biotechnology.”
The Good Food Institute (GFI) strongly supports the DBIMP as one of the nation's most effective tools for advancing biotechnology. We urge Congress and the Trump administration to seize this opportunity and expand the program’s food biomanufacturing investments over the next five years.
Threats to American leadership
While the United States leads the world in private biotech investment, funding is overwhelmingly concentrated in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors. This leaves many other biotech applications, including and especially agriculture, starved of capital and infrastructure, as illustrated by a seminal analysis from the Center for a New American Security. Despite America's early lead in food biomanufacturing, the United States is at risk of falling behind as other countries heavily invest in research and infrastructure.
China, in particular, has made food biomanufacturing and protein security a top priority—as identified within major agricultural, bioeconomy, and other planning documents—to reduce external dependencies and advance national security. China is now the largest global funder of agricultural research and development, and is well-positioned to lead in agricultural biotechnology applications—according to the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Future U.S. leadership depends on our ability to address insufficient investment and improve our workforce development and commercialization strategies.
Food security is national security
Within the broader global biotech race, leadership in agricultural innovation is essential for defense readiness, supply chain resilience, economic growth, and rural prosperity. As our strategic competitors gain ground, the U.S. must act decisively and urgently. In the words of the Commissioners: “[I]t is critical that the United States leverage the opportunities of biotechnology today to build an agricultural sector that is up to the challenges of tomorrow.”
The NSCEB has developed a robust strategy for U.S. leadership in biotechnology. Now it’s up to Congress, industry, and other stakeholders to turn these crucial policy recommendations into reality.
GFI was one of the 1,800 stakeholders contributing to the Commission’s report, championing a vision of agricultural innovation, national security, and economic growth. As the Commission moves into Phase II—focused on implementing its recommendations—GFI remains committed to ongoing and broad collaboration that unlocks the full promise of food biotechnology and agricultural innovation across the United States.
Addressing our strategic shortfalls and expanding U.S. biomanufacturing—especially food biomanufacturing—must be a national priority for the 119th Congress. By leading in the global biotech race, the United States can grow its economy, strengthen our security, and build a healthier, more resilient future for generations to come.
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