Ron DeSantis: Ag is essential for America's revival. I will stand with our farmers.

America is in a state of decline. Merely managing the decline a little bit better than the Biden administration will not cut it. We must reverse American decline and usher in a revival of America’s economy, military strength, and way of life.

A robust agriculture sector is a key part of a stronger America, especially when it comes to the vitality of family farms and ranches. Agriculture is essential for America’s economic revival, as well as for our nation’s security, because food security is necessary for strong national security.

In traveling across Iowa, I have spoken with farmers, ranchers, and others involved in the state’s agriculture industry about the challenges they face. Iowa farmers exemplify the values — faith in God, belief in family, and love of country — that serve as the foundation of America and do a great job feeding the world. Yet, the federal government insists on making it more difficult to farm.

As president, I will not allow unelected federal bureaucrats to stifle American agriculture. The federal government is out of control. This hurts our economy and critical industries like agriculture and distorts the very idea of constitutional government.

I oppose the Biden administration's heavy-handed push for electric vehicles. For many, such vehicles are impractical and unaffordable, undermining the economics of states like Iowa that rely on biofuels — while making Americans even more dependent on China. We will save the American automobile and will not let the government force you into buying an electric vehicle.

We need to embrace energy that is produced in America and that supports American jobs. As president, I will work with leaders like Gov. Kim Reynolds to support her request for approval of E15 for year-round use.

My administration will also support giving drivers additional low-cost options at the pump, including higher ethanol blends such as E30 and higher octane options, and ensure that America’s fuel economy is driven by moms in Marion, not bureaucrats in Washington. Washington needs to allow more freedom of choice in its transportation options and get out of the way of innovation.

The Biden administration wants to end liquid fuels. EPA's proposed eRIN credits for electric vehicles will backfire on America. eRINs will decrease demand for farm-grown biofuels, raising costs for producers and consumers alike. Worse, eRINs promote EVs dependent on Chinese batteries and minerals, undercutting U.S. energy security. My administration will toss this proposed rule in the trash, not phase out American energy and empower China.

As president, I will also oppose attempts to use the economy to impose the preferred ideological agendas of the elites, such as exemplified by the so-called ESG movement. ESG is bad for agriculture — it seeks to expose social credit scores, penalize traditional farming practices, and even disfavor the use of meat. Such policies could very well generate a farm crisis. Elites that gather in places like Davos for the World Economic Forum seek to micromanage all aspects of society. Those types of policies will be dead on arrival in the DeSantis administration.

Biden has also failed to enhance the network of locks, dams, trains, and trucking lanes that underpin our agriculture and energy sectors. My administration will instruct the Army Corps of Engineers to modernize this system, including the critical locks and dams that enable cost-effective transport on the Mississippi and other waterways. Building out this infrastructure will be essential in reclaiming the 21st century for America.

Part of that effort will also involve opening foreign markets to American exports. Many countries maintain high tariffs and other barriers to American goods and commodities. I will pursue new trade opportunities to benefit American farmers, ranchers, and producers.

News outlets recently reported that China now owns 380,000 acres of American land. China increasingly wields power over the global food supply, posing risks to our domestic food security and access to foreign markets. Iowa farmland should be sown by Iowans, not the CCP. In Florida, we blocked foreign countries of concern, including China, from purchasing farmland or property near U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure. As president, I will stop selling America’s future out from under our feet.

China has also begun to actively steal agricultural data and technology. I will ensure our agriculture policies include protections against cyber espionage and IP theft. I will also focus on ensuring our agricultural infrastructure is safe from cyber-attacks and other disruptions that have targeted co-ops and meatpacking plants in recent years.

I will also keep ideologues in California off the backs of Iowa’s farmers and producers. California has tried to use its market power to dictate how Midwest farmers raise livestock and steward water. I will prevent both federal and state overreach from obstructing our agricultural industry.

To visit Iowa is to understand that our farmers are the greatest stewards of our land. The sustainable practices and methods they develop preserve our natural resources for the next generation. Oppressive government policies like the Green New Deal and WOTUS fail to respect farmers' natural care for the land while prioritizing ideology over practicality. I will repeal all of Biden’s harmful regulations on Day 1 and empower our farmers to make the most of our nation’s land.

With farmers aging and facing uncertain profitability, we need policies that support young farmers and the industry long-term. Reduced capital gains taxes, wider expensing for land development, investment credits for conservation practices, and better land transfer options would help grow the next generation of farmers. There should be no “death tax” for family farms.

If America is to thrive in the 21st century, we must take a page from Iowa’s farmers to better harvest our resources, accommodate nature’s challenges, and cultivate a culture resilient to history’s seasons.

As president, I will cut regulations that hamstring our farmers, open new markets for our crops and livestock, incentivize growth and investment, modernize critical infrastructure, secure our agricultural sector from cyber threats, and offer targeted support to farmers where needed.

Iowa farmers’ ingenuity and productivity will continue to bear an essential witness to our nation’s spirit. Combined with the right leadership in Washington, that spirit will help fuel our great American comeback and end our nation’s decline.

Ron DeSantis is governor of Florida and a Republican presidential candidate.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ron DeSantis: Ag is essential for America's revival. I'm with farmers.