Iowa Caucuses: The next president must protect our values and our markets abroad

As is tradition, Iowa will play a pivotal role on Jan. 15 in determining who will be America’s next commander-in-chief. As a former governor of our great state and former U.S. ambassador to China, I know that any candidate who wants to win the support of our state’s voters must demonstrate a commitment to protect Iowa’s interests — and that includes leading our country in a world beset by crises.

Iowa’s common-sense voters prize strong leadership. They know that that America cannot abandon its role in the world, because what happens globally affects us here locally.

The challenges to America — from Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine to Hamas’ terrorism and more — are real, and cannot be solved by ignoring them. Supporting our military is crucial as a deterrent. But so too is supporting our civilian tools of global diplomacy and development. These investments are crucial for preventing conflict and addressing crises before they reach our own borders and ensuring we don’t have to fight costly wars or unnecessarily put our servicemen and women into harm’s way.

One clear example of this connection between development and security is one Iowans understand well: food. As president of the World Food Prize, I am proud to recognize those who improve access to food in the world. When you are hungry, you will do just about anything to feed your family, and extremist groups know that. That makes food crises enticing recruitment opportunities for terrorists, and catalysts for conflicts over food access — which can destabilize whole regions. Food security is national security.

As a former ambassador, I know that America is strongest when we act in partnership with our allies. Investments in diplomacy help ensure that everyone contributes their fair share to addressing critical global issues. And since allies make good trading partners, smart diplomacy opens up new markets for our farmers and businesses.

Even while we cooperate with like-minded allies, we cannot simply ignore those who do not share our values. Take our relationship with China. While the United States embraces different values than the Chinese Communist Party government and as our two countries compete in many areas, China remains a crucial market for American agricultural products, especially from here in Iowa. At the same time, China is outcompeting us globally, spending $8 billion on diplomacy initiatives, deepening its ties in places like Latin America or Africa, which will be home to a full third of all the world’s customers by 2050. It’s a difficult dance, but Iowans are looking for a president who won’t compromise on our principles while ensuring our business dealings are fair and benefit our growers and producers here at home.

When speaking with Iowan farmers who depend on access to foreign markets to sell their crops, families who worry about global instability affecting their household budget, or a veteran who knows the cost of conflict, the challenge to our presidential candidates is clear: How can you convince Iowans that their interests in the world will be protected, and that we will address instability and conflict before it hits us at home?

Iowans want a candidate who will show the leadership we need to shape our future, and they are eager to hear who has the best plan to do it.

Terry Branstad is president of the World Food Prize. He is the longest-serving governor in American history and was US ambassador from 2017 to 2020.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Next president must protect our values, our markets abroad