The United Nations projects the global population will reach over nine billion by 2050. While current projections indicate the world will produce enough food to feed everyone, unequal access to food, lack of infrastructure, and other factors will likely prevent an ideal distribution of food. The United States has been and remains a major exporter of several key commodities giving US production capacity great weight on world food export markets. This thesis looks from 1961 to the present at how the capability to be a net food exporter has affected foreign security policy. Using available theory and writings on using food as a means of national power, the study analyzes case studies where the United States used agriculture to secure political objectives by looking at background, actions, and effects of using "food power." In addition to the case study material, this thesis analyzes several facets related to agricultural production such as domestic policy, World Trade Organization trade negotiations, and agricultural development. The intent is to find what elements of food exports have the most beneficial effects in order to re-evaluate the value of using US agricultural output as a means of national power.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)