(WASHINGTON D.C.) — On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order mobilizing the Defense Production Act to protect domestic production of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides — two critical inputs essential to military readiness and America’s agricultural strength, respectively.
According to a White House fact sheet, the Order delegates the President’s authority under the Defense Production Act to the Secretary of Agriculture to require the performance of contracts or orders related to these materials to promote the national defense, and to determine the proper allocation of materials, services, and facilities necessary to ensure a continued and adequate supply of these products. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to exercise that authority in consultation with the Secretary of War. The Order also finds that any interruption of supply of either of these critical materials could leave our defense industrial base and food supply vulnerable to hostile foreign actors.
Elemental phosphorus is also a critical precursor element for the production of glyphosate-based herbicides, which are the most widely used crop-protection tools in U.S. agriculture — enabling efficient food and livestock feed production that protects food supply chains and ensures the availability of healthy, affordable food options within reach for American families.
“Thank you to President Trump for acknowledging the importance of glyphosate-based herbicides in American agriculture,” said House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15). “At the House Committee on Agriculture, we know that food security is national security, and this is a vital step forward in ensuring a domestic supply of this critical crop input remains available for our producers.”
The White House added in their fact sheet that with only one domestic producer of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides, and U.S. needs far exceeding current output, the threat of reduced or ceased production gravely endangers national security and defense, which includes food-supply security. The Administration says they also continue to support research and investment into next-generation crop protection technologies, but ensuring a stable supply of existing critical inputs remains essential to safeguarding food security and national defense.
Read the Fact Sheet here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-ensures-an-adequate-supply-of-elemental-phosphorus-and-glyphosate-based-herbicides-for-national-security/
View the Executive Order here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/02/promoting-the-national-defense-by-ensuring-an-adequate-supply-of-elemental-phosphorus-and-glyphosate-based-herbicides/
