U.S. agencies unveil $1 billion plan to modernize farms and strengthen food supply security

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to direct more than $1 billion toward farm modernization, regenerative agriculture, and research into chemical exposure in the food system. The initiative is part of a broader federal effort to strengthen long-term food supply security while supporting innovation in agricultural production.

Under the plan, the USDA will allocate $840 million across several conservation and agricultural programs. About $700 million will be directed through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program to support regenerative agriculture projects during fiscal year 2026. Another $140 million will fund the Strengthening Agricultural Systems Program, which supports large-scale projects that address agricultural productivity, pest and disease management, new market opportunities for farm products, and diet-related health challenges. The USDA also said it will expand public-private partnerships within Natural Resources Conservation Service programs to match private investment in conservation and regenerative practices.

The Department of Health and Human Services will contribute $200 million to support research and innovation. The National Institutes of Health will launch a $100 million challenge to develop methods to evaluate cumulative chemical exposure and its health impacts. Another $100 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health will focus on technologies that could reduce reliance on chemical crop protection tools, including robotic and precision weeding systems, electrical and thermal weed control, and biological alternatives to herbicides. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency will commit $30 million for a prize competition to develop alternatives to pesticide-based pre-harvest crop desiccation.

The agencies also said they will work together to develop a new research framework to study cumulative exposure to chemicals across the food supply, using advanced testing methodologies designed to better assess potential risks to human health and the environment.