{"id":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issue/agricultural-r-d","schemaVersion":2,"name":"Agricultural Research and Innovation","category":"Food","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issue/agricultural-r-d","json":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issue/agricultural-r-d.json","ask":"","position":"Agricultural R&D and innovation is among the highest-return climate investments available. In the United States, every dollar invested in public agricultural research returns an estimated twenty dollars in benefits to society. Overall, R&D and innovation drive productivity growth, which has lowered food prices, spared land, and cut food’s carbon intensity—the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product. And yet, public investment in agricultural research has been declining, in real terms, for decades. Reversing that decline—by doubling public agricultural R&D funding—is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase yields, spare lands, and keep food affordable.","faq":[{"question":"Why is agricultural research important?","answer":"Agricultural research helps farmers produce more food with fewer resources and environmental impacts. Advances in crop breeding, biotechnology, fertilizers, machinery, and farming practices can increase yields, improve resilience to weather, pests, and disease, reduce land use, and keep food abundant and affordable."},{"question":"What is agtech?","answer":"Agricultural technology, or agtech, includes tools and innovations that improve how food is produced. Agtech can help farmers increase productivity while using land, water, fertilizer, and other resources more efficiently."},{"question":"What are examples of agricultural technology?","answer":"Examples include biotechnology, precision agriculture, robotics, sensors, artificial intelligence, and advanced irrigation."},{"question":"Why should the government fund agricultural R&D when the private sector already does?","answer":"Companies tend to focus on R&D that can lead to profitable products and technologies. Public R&D complements that investment by supporting foundational and long-term research that is the basis for future breakthroughs, as well as research whose benefits are widely shared and difficult for any one company to capture."}],"experts":[{"name":"Dan Blaustein-Rejto","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/people/dan-blaustein-rejto"},{"name":"Emily Bass","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/people/emily-bass"},{"name":"Emma Kovak","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/people/emma-kovak"}],"startHere":[{"title":"Agricultural Research and Development: How to Grow Enough Food for Everyone With the Least Carbon Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/agriculture-research-and-development-growing-food-for-the-next-generation","date":"2022-09-18"},{"title":"Investing in Public R&D for a Competitive and Sustainable US Agriculture","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/investing-in-r-d-for-us-ag","date":"2021-03-16"},{"title":"Public Agricultural Research Is Drifting Away From Farm Productivity","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/public-agricultural-research-is-drifting-away-from-farm-productivity","date":"2026-05-08"}],"latest":[{"title":"Are U.S. Crop Yields Declining?","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/are-u-s-crop-yields-declining","date":"2025-11-24","type":"Analysis"},{"title":"Revisiting the U.S. Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/revisiting-the-u-s-coordinated-framework-for-the-regulation-of-biotechnology","date":"2025-11-21","type":"Analysis"},{"title":"Seeds of Abundance","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/seeds-of-abundance","date":"2025-11-05","type":"Analysis"},{"title":"Agricultural Research Needs a Farmer-First Focus","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/agricultural-research-needs-a-farmer-first-focus","date":"2025-08-01","type":"Analysis"},{"title":"SECURE Rule Vacature Creates Opportunity for USDA to Develop Improved Product- and Risk-Based Agricultural Biotechnology Regulations","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/secure-rule-vacature-creates-opportunity-for-usda-to-develop-improved-product-and-risk-based-agricultural-biotechnology-regulations","date":"2025-05-23","type":"Whitepaper"},{"title":"RELEASE: Letter from the Breakthrough Institute, Others Warns Against Agriculture Cuts as Congress Kicks Off FY26 Budget Process","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-the-breakthrough-institute-others-warns-against-agriculture-cuts-as-congress-kicks-off-fy26-budget-process","date":"2025-02-12","type":"Statement"},{"title":"RELEASE: Letter from Breakthrough Institute and Partners Ask Congress to Grow Research Investments in Next Farm Bill","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-breakthrough-institute-and-partners-ask-congress-to-grow-research-investments-in-next-farm-bill","date":"2024-06-12","type":"Statement"},{"title":"Farm Bill Negotiations Drag On","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/farm-bill-negotiations-drag-on","date":"2024-05-17","type":"Analysis"},{"title":"RELEASE: Letter from the Breakthrough Institute, Industry, and Academia Call on Congress to Prioritize Research Funding to Mitigate Livestock Methane Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-the-breakthrough-institute-industry-and-academia-call-on-congress-to-prioritize-research-funding-to-mitigate-livestock-methane-emissions","date":"2024-04-08","type":"Statement"},{"title":"RELEASE: EMIT LESS Act Marks A Step Toward Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-emit-less-act-marks-a-step-toward-reducing-enteric-methane-emissions","date":"2024-03-28","type":"Statement"}],"policyHub":"https://thebreakthrough.org/policy?topics=agricultural-r-d-2%7Cbiotechnology%7Cfarm-bill-2","policyAreas":[{"slug":"agricultural-r-d-2","name":"Agricultural R&D","records":20,"url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/policy?topics=agricultural-r-d-2"},{"slug":"biotechnology","name":"Biotechnology","records":4,"url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/policy?topics=biotechnology"},{"slug":"farm-bill-2","name":"Farm Bill","records":4,"url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/policy?topics=farm-bill-2"}],"policyRecords":[{"id":262411,"title":"Revisiting the U.S. Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/revisiting-the-u-s-coordinated-framework-for-the-regulation-of-biotechnology","type":"Analysis","date":"2025-11-21","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emma Kovak; Leah Buchman"},{"id":257296,"title":"Agricultural Research Needs a Farmer-First Focus","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/agricultural-research-needs-a-farmer-first-focus","type":"Analysis","date":"2025-08-01","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Benjamin Goren; Dan Blaustein-Rejto"},{"id":247694,"title":"SECURE Rule Vacature Creates Opportunity for USDA to Develop Improved Product- and Risk-Based Agricultural Biotechnology Regulations","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/secure-rule-vacature-creates-opportunity-for-usda-to-develop-improved-product-and-risk-based-agricultural-biotechnology-regulations","type":"Whitepaper","date":"2025-05-23","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emma Kovak"},{"id":243874,"title":"RELEASE: Letter from the Breakthrough Institute, Others Warns Against Agriculture Cuts as Congress Kicks Off FY26 Budget Process","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-the-breakthrough-institute-others-warns-against-agriculture-cuts-as-congress-kicks-off-fy26-budget-process","type":"Statement","date":"2025-02-12","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":223459,"title":"RELEASE: Letter from Breakthrough Institute and Partners Ask Congress to Grow Research Investments in Next Farm Bill","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-breakthrough-institute-and-partners-ask-congress-to-grow-research-investments-in-next-farm-bill","type":"Statement","date":"2024-06-12","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":218171,"title":"Farm Bill Negotiations Drag On","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/farm-bill-negotiations-drag-on","type":"Analysis","date":"2024-05-17","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":213829,"title":"RELEASE: Letter from the Breakthrough Institute, Industry, and Academia Call on Congress to Prioritize Research Funding to Mitigate Livestock Methane Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-the-breakthrough-institute-industry-and-academia-call-on-congress-to-prioritize-research-funding-to-mitigate-livestock-methane-emissions","type":"Statement","date":"2024-04-08","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":213655,"title":"RELEASE: EMIT LESS Act Marks A Step Toward Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-emit-less-act-marks-a-step-toward-reducing-enteric-methane-emissions","type":"Statement","date":"2024-03-28","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":212894,"title":"How Did Agricultural Research Programs Fare Under the FY24 Spending Cuts","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/how-did-agricultural-research-programs-fare-under-the-fy24-spending-cuts","type":"Analysis","date":"2024-03-11","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":211020,"title":"RELEASE: Breakthrough Institute Endorses Bill to Improve Climate Data Coordination at USDA","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-breakthrough-institute-endorses-bill-to-improve-climate-data-coordination-at-usda","type":"Endorsement","date":"2024-02-01","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":210033,"title":"The Case for Doubling Down on Agricultural R&D","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/the-case-for-doubling-down-on-agricultural-r-d","type":"Analysis","date":"2024-01-11","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Dan Blaustein-Rejto"},{"id":209131,"title":"How to Improve Livestock Health, and Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/how-to-improve-livestock-health-and-cut-greenhouse-gas-emissions","type":"Fact sheet","date":"2023-12-08","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Chris Gambino; Kaitlyn Briggs, DVM, MBA; Dan Blaustein-Rejto"},{"id":209069,"title":"Making the Case for Advanced Ag R&D in the Next Biden-Harris Budget","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/making-the-case-for-advanced-ag-r-d-in-the-next-biden-harris-budget","type":"Analysis","date":"2023-12-07","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":208792,"title":"RELEASE: Letter From the Breakthrough Institute and 60+ Others Call on Congress to Accelerate Advanced Agriculture Research in Next Farm Bill","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-letter-from-the-breakthrough-institute-and-60-scientific-societies-nonprofits-universities-and-research-stakeholders-call-on-congress-to-accelerate-advanced-agriculture-research-in-the-next-farm-bill","type":"Endorsement","date":"2023-11-28","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":207954,"title":"RELEASE: New report details the 3 trillion euro cost of Europe's anti-science stance on new genomic techniques","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-new-report-details-the-3-trillion-euro-cost-of-europes-anti-science-stance-on-new-genomic-techniques","type":"Statement","date":"2023-10-24","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emma Kovak; Mark Lynas"},{"id":206934,"title":"RELEASE: 130 Leading Corporations, Startups, Universities, Non-profits, and Research Stakeholders Unite in Support of a $750 Million Investment for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/release-130-leading-corporations-startups-universities-non-profits-and-research-stakeholders-unite-in-support-of-a-750-million-investment-for-the-foundation-for-food-and-agriculture-research","type":"Endorsement","date":"2023-09-19","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Breakthrough Staff"},{"id":200133,"title":"STATEMENT: Senators Introduce Bill to Advance Soil Carbon Measurement in Agriculture","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/statement-senators-introduce-bill-to-advance-soil-carbon-measurement-in-agriculture","type":"Endorsement","date":"2023-07-18","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":191189,"title":"We Can’t Manage Cattle Methane Without Better Measurements","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/we-cant-manage-cattle-methane-without-better-measurements","type":"Analysis","date":"2023-05-02","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Dan Blaustein-Rejto; Chris Gambino"},{"id":189305,"title":"Senators Bennet and Marshall Introduce AgARDA Reauthorization","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/press/senators-bennet-and-marshall-introduce-agarda-reauthorization-act","type":"Endorsement","date":"2023-03-14","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Breakthrough Staff"},{"id":186142,"title":"Seed Prices Have Soared—Is Intellectual Property the Problem?","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/seed-prices-have-soared-is-intellectual-property-the-problem","type":"Analysis","date":"2023-01-17","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emma Kovak"},{"id":185169,"title":"The Breakthrough Institute’s Vision for the 2023 Farm Bill","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/the-breakthrough-institutes-vision-for-the-2023-farm-bill","type":"Analysis","date":"2023-01-11","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":184946,"title":"To Decarbonize Food Production, Congress Must Invest in R&D","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/to-decarbonize-food-production-congress-must-invest-in-r-d","type":"Analysis","date":"2023-01-05","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Dan Blaustein-Rejto; Emily Bass"},{"id":158797,"title":"Assessing Federal R&D Funding for Agricultural Climate Mitigation","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/from-lab-to-farm","type":"Report","date":"2022-12-12","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Dan Blaustein-Rejto; Emily Bass; Guido Núñez-Mujica; Jasmine Yu"},{"id":175314,"title":"Don’t Make Regulation of Gene-Edited Microbes Precautionary","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/dont-make-regulation-of-gene-edited-microbes-precautionary","type":"Analysis","date":"2022-12-09","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emma Kovak"},{"id":142344,"title":"The USDA’s Latest Investments in Climate-Smart Agriculture are Just a Start","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/the-usdas-latest-investments-in-climate-smart-agriculture-are-just-a-start","type":"Analysis","date":"2022-09-28","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Emily Bass"},{"id":123472,"title":"Agricultural Research and Development: How to Grow Enough Food for Everyone With the Least Carbon Emissions","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/agriculture-research-and-development-growing-food-for-the-next-generation","type":"Report","date":"2022-09-18","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Alex Smith; Dan Blaustein-Rejto"},{"id":111870,"title":"The Inflation Reduction Act Neglects Agriculture Research. That's a Mistake.","url":"https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/food-agriculture-environment/the-inflation-reduction-act-neglects-agriculture-research-thats-a-mistake","type":"Analysis","date":"2022-08-02","stance":"none","subject":"","subjectUrl":"","summary":"","authors":"Alex Smith; Dan Blaustein-Rejto"}],"dateModified":"2026-11-12T08:26:15-08:00"}