RELEASE: Letter Asks Trump Administration to Prioritize Advanced Agricultural Research in its FY26 Budget

Washington, DC — March 27, 2025 — As the Trump administration prepares its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget request, the Breakthrough Institute is urging the inclusion of $10 million in funding for the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA). AgARDA was established in the 2018 Farm Bill and designed to support high-risk, high-reward research aimed at addressing the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. food and agriculture system. Modeled after the Department of Defense's successful DARPA, AgARDA seeks to accelerate transformative agricultural innovations by fostering pioneering research and technology development.

In a letter to key officials, the Breakthrough Institute emphasized that AgARDA is poised to play a critical role in de-risking innovative technologies that may be too early-stage or technically challenging for private-sector investment. This is essential to ensuring the long-term productivity of U.S. agriculture and addressing key issues such as rising food prices and supply chain disruptions. AgARDA complements existing USDA research programs by enabling high-impact solutions to reach the market more quickly, making it an important tool to safeguard national security and maintain U.S. leadership in agricultural technology in the face of growing global competition, particularly from China.

Despite its promise, AgARDA has been underfunded, receiving less than $4 million to date, far below the necessary amount to support ARPA-caliber research. To fulfill the program’s potential, the Breakthrough Institute proposes at least $10 million for AgARDA in FY26. This investment is vital to advancing innovations that will benefit farmers, ranchers, and consumers alike.

The Breakthrough Institute and other stakeholders remain committed to advocating for Congress to reauthorize AgARDA in the farm bill and increase its funding in future spending bills. However, it is crucial for this administration to prioritize advanced research in its first budget request. This demonstration of support could be the catalyst needed to leverage existing and new funding to fully stand up AgARDA to address challenges facing U.S. agriculture.

Click here to read the full letter.

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Media Contact:

Emily Bass

Associate Director of Federal Policy, Food and Agriculture

emily@thebreakthrough.org