The American Institute of Biological Sciences has signed on to three community letters supporting increased fiscal year (FY) 2027 funding for agricultural research programs, including the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The first letter, signed by 42 organizations, requests a robust FY 2027 allocation for the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the Agricultural Research Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as the Economic Research Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
“USDA-funded research is a core driver of American agricultural strength. It helps producers reduce input costs, raise yields, manage pests and disease, improve soil and water efficiency, and bring innovations to market faster. These outcomes translate into greater farm profitability, stronger rural communities, and lower food prices for American families,” the letter reads.
The second letter, signed by 67 organizations, requests an appropriation of $500 million for the AFRI program, USDA’s flagship competitive grants program for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education in support of all topics across the food and agricultural enterprise.
“AFRI-funded research directly supports farmers, ranchers, processors, rural communities, consumers, and the broader U.S. economy. The program addresses challenges such as crop and livestock productivity, supply chain resilience, food safety, nutrition security, soil and water management, invasive weeds, pests and diseases, and workforce development across the food and agriculture system. Importantly, AFRI is also a primary mechanism for advancing research aligned with the new USDA Research and Development Priorities for 2026,” the groups argued.
The AgARDA support letter was signed by 58 organizations. It urges Congress to provide $10 million for AgARDA, but no less than $1 million in FY 2027. AgARDA was established in the 2018 Farm Bill and modeled after successful advanced research agencies like DARPA and ARPA-E to foster research, development, and technology transfer resulting in significant benefits across the U.S. food and agriculture value chain. Congress has appropriated less than $4 million to AgARDA to date.
“The challenges facing agriculture today require bold, forward-thinking solutions. High farm input costs and emerging pest and disease pressures, like New World Screwworm, continue to impact producers across the country. Agricultural research can address these challenges, improve producer profitability, and ensure everyday consumers have access to affordable food,” the AgARDA support letter reads. “Secretary Rollins recently announced new USDA research and development priorities, explicitly calling for innovations that increase producer profitability, create new uses for U.S. agricultural products, and protect the integrity of American agriculture from invasive pests and diseases—all goals that align with the mission outlined in AGARDA’s authorizing statute.”
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