The United States’ most exported agricultural goods are grains and feeds, soybeans, livestock products, tree nuts, fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products, per USDA.
But the county has been losing its leadership in crop exports lately, making room for other agricultural superpowers to take its place.
Over many decades, the U.S. developed a so-called “breadbasket diplomacy” – using crop harvest surpluses as aid to low-income and war-torn countries and exporting them.
This “breadbasket diplomacy” was a smart way to keep close ties with many nations.
But what used to be America’s ticket to successful diplomatic ties is no longer the case.
According to a Bloomberg article, “the shortfall for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 is estimated at $19 billion and is expected to balloon to almost $28 billion in fiscal 2024.”
The article further explains that currently, less than one-third of soybean exports globally come from the U.S., while Brazil exports twice the volume.
Russia, on the other hand, is the top exporter of wheat, while the U.S. is in fourth place.
“Look at where Russia exports its grain to, and then look at the people who didn’t sign the UN resolution against Russia. It’s basically the same list,” said Scott Reynolds Nelson, a history professor at the University of Georgia and author of Oceans of Grain: How American Wheat Remade the World.
While food exports have fallen, exports of other goods from the U.S. mark a surge of 4.5%, per Reuters.
