RELEASE: Breakthrough Institute Endorses ACE Ag Act Reintroduction

Washington, D.C., January 14, 2026 — The Breakthrough Institute is pleased to support the reintroduction of the Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act. We applaud Representatives Randy Feenstra (IA-04) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) for their leadership in advancing this bipartisan, bicameral legislation which would reauthorize an advanced agricultural research agency at the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) was first established in the 2018 farm bill. Modeled after successful advanced research agencies like the Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), AGARDA was created to bring this proven model of transformative research to USDA. AGARDA is needed to both catalyze new solutions to tackle the many challenges facing U.S. agriculture today, and advance the current administration’s national security objectives.

"By reauthorizing AGARDA, the ACE Ag Act reaffirms the powerful role the federal government can play in de-risking innovative agricultural technologies. AgARDA is uniquely designed to strategically fund advanced research with large potential benefits, but that is too early-stage or technically risky for private sector investment alone,” said Emily Bass, Director of Federal Policy for Food & Agriculture at the Breakthrough Institute. “This type of high-risk, high-reward research will complement existing federal research initiatives, strengthen U.S. agricultural productivity, and ensure American producers remain globally competitive."

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Media Contact:

Emily Bass

Director of Federal Policy, Food and Agriculture

emily@thebreakthrough.org