Massive amounts of food, seed, and raw materials must be transported across borders to rebuild a nation following a catastrophic conflict, typically with significantly more hurry than caution. The United States provided Japan with this kind of extensive assistance in the years following World War II in the form of wheat, animal feed, and other agricultural supplies meant to avert widespread hunger and revive Japanese agriculture. Among the plants that later benefited from increased movement of agricultural goods was common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a North American species capable of thriving in disturbed ground. Japan's experience would eventually turn the plant from a minor introduction into a widespread source of seasonal pollen.
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