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News Items Podcast: Episode 16 feat. Russ Howard
John Ellis talks with retired Brigadier General Russ Howard about the wars in Iran and Ukraine, why modern warfare is changing faster than most militaries can adapt, and a much bigger problem that could be coming down the road. Howard argues that food, fertilizer, water, and supply chains are becoming national security issues in their own right. They discuss the real-world effects of conflict on agriculture, growing concerns over global water shortages, and a project at Arizona State University that asks what the world might look like in 2040 if current trends continue. A conversation about the risks that sit just beneath the headlines.
Agriculture as a Domain of Hybrid Warfare: China’s Strategy and U.S. Security Gaps
Dr. Alicia Ellis and Sarah Shoer published “Agriculture as a Domain of Hybrid Warfare: China’s Strategy and U.S. Security Gaps” in PRISM: The Journal of Complex Operations. They argue that agriculture should be treated as critical infrastructure, given that it has been a deliberate target and instrument of hybrid warfare. They document how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is building upstream leverage through fertilizer dominance, ag‑tech acquisitions, land purchases, and control of key logistics nodes, creating potential chokepoints in U.S. and global food systems. The article introduces an Agriculture Security (“AgSec”) framework that aims to protect “farm-to-fork infrastructure” from disruption, manipulation, or exploitation by adversaries and integrates agriculture into hybrid deterrence planning on par with other forms of critical infrastructure.
Al Jazeera Interview on Fertilizer, Timing, and Risk
Dr. Alicia Ellis joined Al Jazeera (March 26, 2026) to discuss how global disruptions from the war in Iran are impacting U.S. farmers in real time. She highlighted how rising fertilizer costs, tightening planting windows, and early-season decisions, particularly in the Midwest, are already shaping food production months before effects reach markets.
Publications
Agriculture as a Domain of Hybrid Warfare: China’s Strategy and U.S. Security Gaps
Dr. Alicia Ellis and Sarah Shoer published “Agriculture as a Domain of Hybrid Warfare: China’s Strategy and U.S. Security Gaps” in PRISM: The Journal of Complex Operations. They argue that agriculture should be treated as critical infrastructure, given that it has been a deliberate target and instrument of hybrid warfare. They document how the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is building upstream leverage through fertilizer dominance, ag‑tech acquisitions, land purchases, and control of key logistics nodes, creating potential chokepoints in U.S. and global food systems. The article introduces an Agriculture Security (“AgSec”) framework that aims to protect “farm-to-fork infrastructure” from disruption, manipulation, or exploitation by adversaries and integrates agriculture into hybrid deterrence planning on par with other forms of critical infrastructure.
From Hormuz to Harvest: The Strategic Clock of Modern Agriculture
Rising tensions in the Persian Gulf are beginning to ripple through global fertilizer markets just as shipments normally move toward farms ahead of the spring planting season. Because fertilizer deliveries are tightly synchronized with agricultural production cycles, disruptions during this window can shape harvest outcomes months before crops are even planted. If current instability continues to tighten fertilizer markets, the effects could reach the upcoming growing season sooner than policymakers or planners anticipate.
Cyber to Soil: How America’s Food System Became a Battlespace
The U.S. food system is a marvel of modern logistics, productivity, and innovation. However, its very efficiency, anchored in just-in-time delivery, concentrated infrastructure, and foreign input reliance, has also made it profoundly fragile. Once seen as just an economic domain, agriculture now sits at the intersection of multiple threat vectors: cyber, bio, economic, and geopolitical.
Interviews
News Items Podcast: Episode 16 feat. Russ Howard
John Ellis talks with retired Brigadier General Russ Howard about the wars in Iran and Ukraine, why modern warfare is changing faster than most militaries can adapt, and a much bigger problem that could be coming down the road. Howard argues that food, fertilizer, water, and supply chains are becoming national security issues in their own right. They discuss the real-world effects of conflict on agriculture, growing concerns over global water shortages, and a project at Arizona State University that asks what the world might look like in 2040 if current trends continue. A conversation about the risks that sit just beneath the headlines.
Al Jazeera Interview on Fertilizer, Timing, and Risk
Dr. Alicia Ellis joined Al Jazeera (March 26, 2026) to discuss how global disruptions from the war in Iran are impacting U.S. farmers in real time. She highlighted how rising fertilizer costs, tightening planting windows, and early-season decisions, particularly in the Midwest, are already shaping food production months before effects reach markets.
Veterans, Agriculture, and National Security
Dr. Alicia Ellis joined the Vets in Ag podcast to discuss how agriculture and food systems underpin national security, military readiness, and resilience—and why veterans play a key role in strengthening them.