MINNEAPOLIS — The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy anticipates that the incoming Trump Administration will pose immediate and serious threats to our food and trade systems, relations with international partners and efforts to slow harms caused by climate change.

Trump’s pledge to begin mass deportations of immigrants will threaten basic human rights for many who work within the food system. His commitment to impose broad new tariffs will likely spur retaliation among key trading partners, creating chaos for a farm economy reliant on export markets. Trump’s close ties to the oil industry and his overt climate denial will hamper the urgent need to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience both in the U.S. and around the world as the climate crisis worsens.  

“There is no question that the election results are a major blow to efforts to build a more fair and sustainable food and trade system,” said IATP Executive Director Sophia Murphy. “It will be more critical than ever that organizations like IATP, working locally, nationally and internationally, connect with allies to build new momentum for change that can bring a better future for our food system, our lives and the planet. During the last Trump administration, we saw local and state governments lead in responding to the climate crisis, as other countries took larger leadership roles at international bodies. IATP will work to strengthen existing partnerships and identify new ones to challenge the serious threats to human rights, fairness and the planet coming from the next administration. We will continue to hold corporations accountable and expand our work towards a hopeful, just future.”  

IATP will be analyzing the implications of the election for our food and farm systems in the U.S. and internationally in the coming months.