RELEASE: Letter Calls On USDA to Leverage AGARDA for National Security Objectives

Washington, DC — September 15, 2025 — Last week, the Breakthrough Institute, joined by dozens of partners, delivered a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) leadership commending their inclusion of research and innovation as key priorities in the National Farm Security Action Plan released this summer. The Action Plan underscores the importance of strengthening American agricultural productivity and proposes USDA partnership with “the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and other Federal research agencies to ensure agricultural projects they fund promote military readiness, protect U.S. plants and animals, and enhance agricultural security.”

The letter—signed by a group of scientific societies, research organizations, universities, national commodity groups, and other innovation stakeholders—asks Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to leverage the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA) to lead coordination efforts with DARPA and other research agencies.

The letter emphasizes that advanced research in plant and animal diseases, food systems resilience, and supply chain integrity is no longer optional; it is a strategic necessity. The United States cannot afford to fall behind in critical areas where foreign powers are aggressively investing and expanding their influence. Standing up AGARDA will demonstrate USDA’s commitment to prioritizing innovation and fortifying our agricultural infrastructure to ensure that America remains secure in the face of global challenges.

The Breakthrough Institute and other stakeholders remain committed to advocating for Congress to reauthorize AGARDA in the next farm bill and increase its funding in future spending bills. Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins should seize this opportunity to leverage the program’s existing authority, strategically deploy funding that has already been appropriated, and coordinate advanced research objectives with other research agencies.

Click here to read the full letter.

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Media Contact:

Emily Bass

Director of Federal Policy, Food and Agriculture

emily@thebreakthrough.org