Americans across the country are reading countless headlines about the possible price increases as a result of the international conflict unfolding in the Middle East. Geopolitical instability shines a light on how interconnected and complex our global supply chains are.
From disruptions in key agricultural regions to trade route instability, global conflict has a direct and measurable effect on the affordability and accessibility of the everyday products people rely on.
We understand that affordability is top of mind for consumers, and grocery prices are among the most visible indicators of economic stress. But what is often less visible is just how complex modern supply chains have become. Despite sourcing the vast majority of ingredients and inputs from U.S. farms and domestic suppliers, consumer packaged goods companies depend on global supply chains for certain imports due to unique growing conditions and other limiting factors around the world.
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In this already dynamic environment, policymakers face an important question: What steps can be taken closer to home to support affordability when other factors remain out of our control?
One critical answer lies in regulatory consistency. As policymakers consider new requirements on ingredient safety and transparency for grocery products, it is essential to recognize that a fragmented, state-by-state approach risks compounding the very cost pressures consumers are already feeling.
The result is not theoretical. A recent economic impact study conducted by Policy Navigation Group found that the patchwork of different state ingredient laws being implemented across the country will result in a significant 12% increase in grocery costs for the average U.S. household.
By contrast, a national uniform standard for ingredient safety and transparency would provide clarity predictability, and, importantly, it would also ensure that all consumers, regardless of where they live, benefit from consistent standards and clear information about the products they purchase.
This is not an argument against strong safety or transparency measures. On the contrary, the CPG industry shares the goals of maintaining science- and risk-based rules that ensure ingredient safety and of enhancing consumer transparency. But how those standards are implemented matters. It’s not just global supply chains that are interwoven and complex. America’s supply chains are too. Why are we adding to the complexity?
At a time when geopolitical forces are impacting grocery prices, domestic policy choices should aim to reduce, not amplify, cost pressures. The complexity of global supply chains means that even small inefficiencies can have outsize effects. Layering on a fragmented regulatory landscape risks turning manageable challenges into systemic ones.
Affordability is a shared priority — for industry, for policymakers, and, most importantly, for consumers. Achieving it requires acknowledging the realities of how food moves from farm to table or a household good moves from supplier to pantry in a globalized world. It also requires collaboration: industry leaders providing transparency and accountability, and policymakers crafting rules that support both consumer protection and economic efficiency.
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Geopolitical uncertainty may be beyond our control, but its impact on American households is not. By embracing national uniformity for ingredient safety and transparency, Congress can help deliver on the affordability agenda Washington seeks.
In a moment defined by global volatility, thoughtful domestic policy can make a meaningful difference.
Melissa Hockstad is president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association.