(DCNF)—Every parent knows the feeling. You walk into the grocery store expecting to pick up the same items you’ve purchased for years, only to discover the total somehow climbed again. A few dollars here. A few dollars there. Before long, feeding a family becomes noticeably more expensive than it was just a few years ago.
Americans deserve answers about why this keeps happening. What they don’t deserve are convenient political scapegoats.
As food prices continue to rise, some policymakers and activists are searching for someone to blame. Manufacturers, suppliers and producers often find themselves in the crosshairs. But blaming the businesses that help feed America is like blaming the thermometer for a heat wave. It may satisfy a political narrative, but it does nothing to address the actual problem.
The reality is that food security begins long before products reach grocery store shelves. It starts with the farmers who grow our crops, the manufacturers who produce critical agricultural inputs, and the complex supply chains that connect the world economy.
One of the most important links in that chain is fertilizer. Without fertilizer, crop yields decline. When crop yields decline, food production falls. When food production falls, prices rise. It’s a straightforward equation that affects every family in America.
Yet fertilizer production depends on raw materials such as sulfur, ammonia, and phosphate that move through a highly interconnected global marketplace. When geopolitical instability disrupts that marketplace, the effects ripple throughout the entire food supply chain. That is exactly what we are witnessing today.
Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine continues to disrupt key commodity markets and transportation networks. Tensions throughout the Middle East have created uncertainty around critical shipping routes. Countries such as China have restricted exports of fertilizer and related inputs, tightening supplies even further. Together, these events have created significant pressure on the materials farmers need to grow the food that ultimately reaches American dinner tables.
None of these is the result of corporate greed. It is the predictable consequence of global instability colliding with economic reality. When supplies become constrained, prices rise. When supplies expand, prices stabilize. The laws of economics have not been suspended simply because the issue has become politically inconvenient.
Unfortunately, some leaders seem more interested in assigning blame than removing obstacles. If policymakers genuinely want to lower costs for families, they should focus on strengthening America’s ability to produce, manufacture, and compete. That means streamlining permitting processes, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, encouraging domestic energy production, and ensuring that American manufacturers can access the resources they need to meet demand. It also means recognizing an important truth that often gets lost in today’s political debates: businesses are not the enemy.
At the Christian Employers Alliance, we work with employers across the country who see business as a calling rather than merely a source of profit. They understand that every decision they make affects employees, families, customers, and communities.
That belief inspired the creation of the Biblical Business Index (BBI), which evaluates policies through the lens of five core biblical freedoms. This fertilizer and food security challenge highlights the critical importance of Economic Freedom, one of those five freedoms.
Biblical principles of stewardship call us to manage resources wisely, pursue honest commerce, and enable productive work that provides for families and communities. Excessive regulations, permitting delays, and policies that hinder domestic production directly undermine economic freedom. They make it harder for American farmers and manufacturers to respond to global disruptions, increase costs, and ultimately hurt the very families we aim to serve. Policies that expand economic freedom, by cutting red tape, promoting domestic energy and resource development, and strengthening supply chain resilience, align with Scripture’s emphasis on diligence, responsibility, and abundance.
Those same principles should guide our approach to economic policy.
A healthy society depends on healthy institutions. Strong families need stable jobs. Stable jobs require successful businesses. Successful businesses require an environment where innovation, production, and investment are encouraged rather than punished.
When employers can thrive, communities thrive alongside them.
The Biblical concept of stewardship teaches that resources should be managed wisely and responsibly. That lesson applies just as much to public policy as it does to individual conduct. Leaders have a responsibility to create conditions that allow people and businesses to be productive, solve problems, and meet human needs.
Food security is ultimately about more than fertilizer, trade policy, or commodity markets. It is about whether America remains capable of providing abundance for future generations. That goal will not be achieved by vilifying employers, manufacturers, or producers. It will not be achieved through political finger-pointing. And it certainly will not be achieved by ignoring the geopolitical realities driving today’s supply disruptions.
Instead, it will be achieved through policies that encourage production, strengthen supply chains, reward innovation, and empower responsible businesses to do what they do best: create value, provide opportunity, and serve their communities.
Americans don’t need another villain in the food security debate. They need leaders willing to address the real causes of the problem. And they need the courage to support the businesses helping provide the solution.
Margaret Iuculano is President of the Christian Employers Alliance, advocating for the rights of faith-based businesses to operate according to their convictions. She works at the intersection of law and policy and helps advance the Biblical Business Index (BBI), a Scripture-centered policy platform guiding Christian CEOs in aligning business decisions, investments, and public engagement with biblical truth.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.