Former Defense Secretary Calls U.S. Farming a National Security Issue
June 28, 2023 
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta delivers the closing address at the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit.
Photo by David Eddy
A heavy hitter closed out the inaugural Salinas Biological Summit with a strong message for growers and other agriculture industry leaders: Speak up. Leon Panetta, who represented the region in Congress, said far too many Americans take ag for granted. Panetta said it’s up to the industry to change that perception.
“This is about national security, and I don’t think you need to be shy in saying that,” he said.
It’s an argument that should be used to secure more public funding for agriculture programs, he said, especially at the Land Grant universities, which have seen funds dwindle over the past few decades. Panetta said the conference was an important one, because many Americans believe the industry needs to reduce its reliance on chemicals.
Besides going with biological solutions, there are other changes in farming methods that can be made, he said, suggesting that the government provide incentives for growers who conserve water through the use of more precise irrigation. He added that the small walnut orchard in nearby Carmel Valley he inherited from his father was flood-irrigated, but when he replanted with grapes he installed drip irrigation.
Panetta, who turned 85 in June, said he is happy to be thousands of miles away from the fiasco in Washington DC. A true statesman, Panetta exhibited extraordinary range when serving two administrations in a variety of positions, all of which could be termed “The Hot Corner:” Director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Defense Secretary, a post to which he was confirmed by the Senate unanimously in 2011.
Calling himself “a farmer and former politician,” Panetta said California’s move to a largely chemical-free future, even over more than 20 years, is “tough stuff. It’s going to take time, money, patience, and one hell of a lot of collaboration.”
Panetta added it’s also going to take leadership if California is going to be successful in its goal, especially in ag.
“Leadership in this country lies not in Washington (DC),” he said, “but in the rural areas of this great country.”
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