Farm Bill Policy

What is the farm bill?

The “farm bill” is the nickname for the piece of federal legislation passed every five years by Congress that addresses agricultural and food policy. The farm bill governs an array of agricultural programs—commodity support, nutrition assistance, conservation, and agricultural research. The farm bill is an opportunity for the research community to work with legislators to propose policy changes that would improve and advance agriculture research.

How is the farm bill organized?

There are twelve “titles” in the farm bill, each like its own separate bill. The two that matter most for agricultural science are Title 7 and Title 2.

  • Title 7 covers “Research, Extension, and Related Matters.” The Research title includes mandatory and discretionary funds which support agriculture research, cooperative extension, and state level agricultural education. 
  • Title 2 covers “Conservation.” The Conservation title deals with land retirement and easement programs and programs that incentivize farmers to implement conservation practices. The Title also outlines conservation requirements for participation in crop insurance programs.
     

Research in the farm bill

The farm bill includes funding and policy guidance for USDA research programs like the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the intramural Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and the non-competitive formula funds dedicated to land-grant universities. The farm bill is also the vehicle for new research programs. For example, the 2014 farm bill created the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), which was given $200 million in funding to the Foundation to foster collaborations between the public and private sectors through matched grants.

  • Read this CSA News article for a farm bill overview and why this piece of legislation matters to food, agriculture, and natural resources researchers.

2023 Farm Bill Priorities

ASA, CSSA, and SSSA began planning for the 2023 farm bill reauthorization process nearly two years before the 2018 farm bill was set to expire. The Science Policy Office worked with the Farm Bill Task Force, made up of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA volunteer members, to identify research and policy priorities for the new farm bill. In June of 2022, a survey on current farm bill programs was distributed for Society member input. 

Our 2023 Farm Bill priorities were released on November 15, 2022, highlighting the top five priorities identified in the member survey. 

  1. Provide robust, consistent, and diverse support for agricultural research
  2. Improve coordination of climate research to enable translational research
  3. Facilitate FAIR data collection, sharing, storage, and reuse
  4. Support equitable outcomes in research, extension, education, and production
  5. Leverage networks of trusted, on-farm advisers to meet technical assistance needs

Read the detailed 2023 Farm Bill Priorities with policy ideas. 

Farm Bill Research Hearings

Members of Congress who serve on the Senate and House Agriculture Committees hold the primary responsibility of drafting the farm bill. To prepare for drafting the bill, the Agriculture Committees will hold hearings on different farm bill topics. 

Research hearings coming soon!

ASA, CSSA, SSSA Farm Bill Letters

Farm Bill FAQ

Farm bill podcast

Learn all about the farm bill in a bonus episode of the Field, Lab, Earth podcast.

podcast