The Past & Future of the Farm Bill

 

The Farm Bill has served as the federal government’s primary instrument for agricultural and food policy for most of the last century. It has been an omnibus piece of legislation, meaning it packages a diverse array of programs into one piece of legislation.The Farm Bill typically covers issues ranging from crop insurance and commodity subsidies to food assistance programs and funding. While typically reauthorized every five years, the bill currently sits in a complex state of partial extension and legislative fragmentation. The passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) in 2025 introduced many changes to food and agricultural policy that would have previously been covered by the Farm Bill. Beyond the parliamentary procedure of the Congress, the change to a “one bill” approach from the OBBB left many ambiguities in regulation and appropriation that would usually be in the Farm Bill. Issues in food and agriculture not explicitly covered by the OBBB are in a legislative limbo. Federal lawmakers are now debating what to do next about issues not covered in the OBBB, in the absence of a Farm Bill.

History of the Farm Bill

The modern concept of a farm bill originated during the economic collapse of the Great Depression and the environmental devastation of the Dust Bowl. The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 established the precedent of federal intervention, with a primary focus on raising plummeting crop prices through supply control and soil conservation efforts.

A defining shift occurred forty years later with the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973. This legislation was the first to incorporate a nutrition title, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This addition forged a political coalition between rural lawmakers seeking farm support and urban lawmakers seeking food assistance, a dynamic that has been a defining feature since its passing. In other words, the SNAP program helped low-income people purchase food, but in doing so it guaranteed farmers and food producers an avenue for selling their food products.

The Freedom to Farm Act of 1996 attempted to decouple payments from production decisions, moving toward a free-market model. This legislation set up the 12 title areas that make up most of what the Farm Bill has covered in recent decades. They are outlined below.

The Primary Titles

These few titles account for the vast majority (99%) of total Farm Bill spending.

1. Title I: Commodities: This title provides price supports and subsidies for major crops, specifically storable commodities like corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton, and dairy. If market prices drop below a certain level, this title triggers payments to farmers to keep them in business.

• Key Programs: Price Loss Coverage (PLC), Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC).

2. Title IV: Nutrition: This is the largest title, typically accounting for about 80% of the bill’s total cost. It provides food assistance to low-income Americans. 

Key Programs: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

3. Title XI: Crop Insurance: While Title I protects against low prices, Title XI protects against production losses (like a drought killing a crop). It subsidizes the premiums farmers pay for insurance policies. Unlike other disaster aid, this is a public-private partnership where the government helps farmers buy coverage from private insurers.

• Key Programs: Federal Crop Insurance Program.

4. Title II: Conservation: This title pays farmers to implement environmental practices on their land. For example, a farmer might be paid to plant trees, restore wetlands, or use no-till farming to prevent soil erosion.

• Key Programs: Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The Supporting Titles

These titles have smaller budgets but provide critical infrastructure, loans, and specialized support.

5. Title III: Trade: This title focuses on selling American products overseas. It funds programs that help U.S. exporters market their goods and also manages international food aid programs (like sending U.S. wheat to conflict zones).

• Key Programs: Market Access Program (MAP), Food for Peace.

6. Title V: Credit: This title helps farmers get loans. It is directed toward young, beginning, or socially disadvantaged farmers.

• Key Programs: Farm Service Agency (FSA) Direct and Guaranteed Loans.

7. Title VI: Rural Development: This title funds infrastructure projects in small towns, including housing, sewage systems, broadband internet and rural hospitals.

• Key Programs: Rural Broadband Access, Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program.

8. Title VII: Research: This title funds the science behind agriculture. It supports land-grant universities and government labs to study everything from pest resistance and crop genetics to manufacturing technology.

• Key Programs: Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

9. Title VIII: Forestry: This title supports the management of private and public forest lands. It focuses on forest health, logging, and preventing wildfires, often working with the U.S. Forest Service.

• Key Programs: Healthy Forests Reserve Program.

10. Title IX: Energy A newer addition (first added in 2002), this title encourages the production of renewable energy on farms. It supports biofuels (like ethanol), biomass energy, and helping farmers install solar panels or wind turbines.

• Key Programs: Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

11. Title X: Horticulture: While Title I covers “big crops” like corn, Title X covers specialty crops, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and organics. It funds pest management, organic certification data, and farmers markets.

• Key Programs: Specialty Crop Block Grants, National Organic Program.

12. Title XII: Miscellaneous: This title section is for programs that don’t fit neatly elsewhere. It often includes provisions for livestock health, workforce development, and historically focused support for minority farmers.

• Key Programs: Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers.

Current Status: A Legislative Patchwork

The policy landscape in February 2026 is unique. The underlying legal authority remains the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, but it is currently functioning through a combination of temporary extensions and specific executive-backed updates.To prevent funding gaps, Congress passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 in November 2025. This extended the core provisions of the 2018 bill, such as disaster assistance and conservation funding through September 30, 2026. However, significant changes were already enacted prior to this extension. In 2025, the OBBB and its legislation functioned as a partial update to address inflation and economic pressure on producers. Key provisions of the OBBB included:

• Higher Reference Prices: Statutory price floors for major commodities like corn and wheat were raised by 10% to 21% to offset inflation.
• Conservation Investment: Approximately $34 billion was allocated to conservation programs over ten years.
• Tax Permanency: The 20% qualified business income deduction for farmers was made permanent.

Immediate Legislative Activity

With the financial baseline established by the OBBB, the House Agriculture Committee is preparing to debate a “skinny” Farm Bill in late February 2026. This targeted legislation aims to resolve specific regulatory issues rather than broad spending questions. Priority items include:

• Federal Jurisdiction: Establishing federal supremacy over state pesticide labeling laws.
• Animal Welfare: Addressing interstate commerce conflicts arising from California’s Proposition 12 standards.
• International Aid: Codifying the Food for Peace program under the sole jurisdiction of the USDA.

The Debate Over Future Legislation

Despite these updates, the path to a comprehensive Farm Bill 2.0 remains contentious. The debate largely centers on three areas:

• Spending: While the OBBB increased financial support to some farmers and food producers for operating costs, producer groups argue it is insufficient against rising input costs, while opponents of increased farm subsidies worry about the projected $1.5 trillion ten-year cost to the taxpayer.
• Nutrition: The Nutrition title, which comprises nearly 80% of total spending, faces continued contention between those defending SNAP and other food and nutrition programs and those demanding stricter work and eligibility requirements and those in favor of a complete removal of these provisions from the farm bill entirely.
• Climate Strategy: A sharp divide also exists regarding conservation funds. Democrats largely favor climate-smart carbon sequestration practices, while Republicans prioritize working lands programs that emphasize production efficiency over environmental regulation.

The central question facing Congress is whether to pass a “skinny bill” to address immediate regulatory friction or hold out for a comprehensive reauthorization that locks in long-term stability for all sectors. What legislation is passed or not passed will obviously affect food and agricultural policy in the United States, but may also serve as a symbolic political continuation of the OBBB and the Trump Administration’s directives, or as a reputation of it. We shall see…

 

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