Chairman Scott Releases Report on America’s Aging Farm Workforce

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Rick Scott, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, released a report, America’s Aging Farm Workforce: Why Vanishing Family Farms are a Growing Threat to U.S. Food Security and Rural Communities.

Chairman Scott’s report highlights the significant challenges posed by America’s aging farm workforce and presents policy recommendations to strengthen this critical industry and protect U.S. food security. America’s aging farmers, one-third of whom are over the age of 65 with a median age of 58 years old, constitute the nation’s oldest workforce. As U.S. farmers and ranchers continue to age and begin retiring, fewer of their children are choosing to follow in their footsteps, creating serious challenges for the continuity of agricultural production, U.S. food security, and the long-term sustainability of rural communities across America.

Chairman Rick Scott said, “The aging of America’s farming workforce is a national crisis that demands immediate action. We must pass the Farm Bill and work to reduce economic pressures on farmers by cutting costs, repealing burdensome regulations that make family farms harder to start and run, and protect American farmers from foreign adversaries, like Communist China, by stopping them from buying up U.S. farmland. Addressing these issues requires a commitment to prioritizing American agriculture, and I’m grateful to President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for their ongoing support of farmers. I look forward to working with them to ensure these communities thrive and that our aging farmers can retire in peace knowing that their hard work to feed America’s families will continue for generations to come.”

Policy recommendations include:

• Reduce Economic Pressures:
• Lower inflation and energy costs, and permanently repeal the federal estate tax.

• Promote Agricultural Innovation:
• Invest in agricultural research and development to support emerging markets like organic farming and agri-tourism.
• Utilize AI in production equipment and market tools.

• Streamline Regulations and Protect Domestic Agriculture:
• Streamline regulations and prevent foreign adversaries from acquiring U.S. farmland.
• Pass the Regulatory Decimation Act and the REINS Act to reduce the burdensome regulatory environment.
• Pass the Farm Bill to support farmers and ensure food security as a key part of national security.

• Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Attacks:
• Promote fair competition for U.S. farmers by addressing the impact of foreign subsidies that undermine American agriculture.
• Implement tariffs when necessary to ensures U.S. farmers and ranchers are not penalized for adhering to safe and sustainable standards.

Read the entire report HERE.

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