On June 11, 2024, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee advanced the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025 on a party-line vote. The bill – which provides Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 funding for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – totals $25.9 billion, which is 1.35% – or nearly $400 million – below the FY2024 enacted level. The cuts included in the bill would have significant consequences across the US food and farm system – impacting farmers, ranchers, communities, and eaters from coast to coast.
Now more than ever farmers need research and technical assistance tailored to their operation types. Climate change makes farming harder and less predictable, underscoring the need for research and assistance that supports climate resilience. Farmers also need expanded support to access conservation programs through on-the-ground technical assistance, including specialized support for grass-based production and underserved producers. Accessing on-farm supports and new markets can be particularly challenging for small-scale, urban, and other operations utilizing innovative growing techniques. Tailored support is essential to improve their production capacity and connect them with market opportunities.
Over the past year, hundreds of organizations have voiced their support for these programs and implored appropriators to ensure stable and adequate funding to address the need. As Appropriators in both the House and Senate look to markup their FY2025 agriculture spending bills this week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is elevating the support for critical programs that address these needs, including through Conservation Technical Assistance, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, and the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.
Conservation Technical Assistance
Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) is the backbone of NRCS’ conservation programs. Through CTA, NRCS field staff work with farmers to develop and implement conservation plans to steward resources, assess practices on farms, fulfill conservation compliance requirements, and collect and disseminate data. This funding is critical to help producers develop site-specific plans to conserve water, prepare for extreme weather, and address natural resource concerns on their land. Ensuring there is sufficient CTA funding by providing $1.2 billion for NRCS Conservation Operations is a top priority for many organizations, as is supporting historically underserved producers in accessing conservation programs by ensuring adequate funding for Equity in Conservation Outreach Cooperative Agreements.
CTA funding, through the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI), also supports NRCS efforts to provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers interested in improving their grazing operations.
Grazing-based farm and ranch operations improve profitability and are an important strategy for introducing new farmers and ranchers into livestock management because they can be low upfront capital operations that nonetheless generate good income. Well-managed grasslands also protect water quality, improve soil health, and provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife. NSAC, alongside over 150 other organizations, sent a letter to Congress earlier this year requesting $30 million for this critical program in FY2025.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
NSAC, alongside 97 food, farm, conservation, and rural organizations, delivered a letter to Congressional Appropriators urging them to fully fund the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) at $60 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025.
SARE provides farmers and researchers with vital opportunities to better understand agricultural systems, increase profitability, and build resilience to climate change. According to SARE’s 2023-2024 Biannual Report From the Field, less than half of Farmer Rancher Grant proposals were able to receive funding from 2022-2023. Farmers and ranchers have critical insight when it comes to improving their systems, and the increasing demand for farmer-led research continues to outpace federal funding.
Urban Agriculture
While the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (the Office) is relatively new, they have demonstrated the capacity to manage multiple grant programs, a national advisory committee, and coordinate resources across USDA. Since it first received funding in FY2020, it has invested over $73 million in 182 grants and 120 cooperative agreements to support community food security through producer networks in urban, suburban, and rural communities. That funding only reached 22% of the total number of eligible applicants. Earlier this year, 168 organizations, producers, and businesses requested the Office be funded at its full authorized level of $25 million for FY25.
As House and Senate Appropriators take up their FY2025 agriculture spending bills this week, NSAC urges them to consider the strong support these issues have across the food and agricultural community and ensure robust funding that addresses the unmet demand for these programs nationwide.
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