USDA boosts regenerative agriculture funding to $1 billion for 2027

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will increase funding for its Regenerative Pilot Program to $1 billion in fiscal 2027, up from $700 million, as the agency seeks to expand adoption of conservation practices aimed at improving soil health, water quality and farm resilience.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service said it will also give State Technical Advisory Committees greater flexibility to add conservation practices reflecting local resource concerns, production systems and producer needs. The program will continue to use a whole-farm, outcome-based approach, allowing producers to bundle multiple regenerative practices into a single application.

The fiscal 2027 funding includes $650 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and $350 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program. USDA said more than 5,100 contracts worth more than $851 million were obligated under the program in the previous fiscal year.

Lower barriers for producers

For fiscal 2027, USDA is lowering the resource-concern threshold for the Conservation Stewardship Program from 100% to 75%, which the agency said will reduce barriers to participation while maintaining the program’s conservation objectives.

The agency also plans dedicated funding set-asides, improved tracking, expanded technical support networks and additional monitoring and evaluation options for cropland, grazing land and forestry operations.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said strong demand from farmers prompted the funding increase. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the program would help producers improve soil health and reduce dependence on costly chemical inputs.

The program is part of the administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, which links agricultural practices with broader food-system and public-health objectives.

Farmers and ranchers can apply through their local NRCS Service Center ahead of their state’s fiscal 2027 ranking dates. USDA said applications for EQIP and CSP can be submitted through the single regenerative application process.