Accelerating Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act of 2026

DATE INTRODUCED:

S. 3637 - 01/14/2026

H.R. 7142 - 01/16/2026

WHAT:

The Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act of 2026 would reauthorize and reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). Similar to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), USDA’s AGARDA program supports high-risk, high-reward research that ensures American farmers and ranchers have access to the most up-to-date technologies and practices to maximize profitability, participate in new and expanding markets, prevent pests and disease and promote soil health, all while reducing emissions.

The ACE Agriculture Act:

Reauthorizes AGARDA and removes the term “pilot” from its authorization to establish program durability.
Addresses long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of agricultural technologies, research tools and qualified products and projects.
Focuses AGARDA on research addressing infectious disease, plant and animal pathogens and pests and the reduction, avoidance, sequestration, or mitigation of emissions from the agriculture sector.

This legislation will enable the streamlined deployment of innovative agricultural research and development to bolster U.S. ag leadership, strengthen American and global food supplies and support producers in addressing agricultural challenges like high input costs, pests and disease, poor soil health and extreme weather.

WHY IT MATTERS:

Federal investment declined by one-third over the past 20 years, while China has become the world’s largest funder of agricultural research and development. Agricultural innovation research is necessary to maintain U.S. competitiveness and address unprecedented challenges in the industry, such as increased input costs, supply-chain disruptions and difficult-to-predict weather events that impact yields and profitability across the food and agriculture sector. AGARDA can address these challenges and help American farmers and ranchers enhance efficiencies and increase profitability to maintain global competitiveness while reducing emissions. AGARDA provides an opportunity to produce transformative innovations, initiate new ventures and create new careers in the agricultural sector.

WHAT'S NEXT:

This bill now awaits consideration by the Senate and House Agriculture Committees. Bipartisan, bicameral introduction demonstrates policymakers’ willingness to support American farmers and Ag R&D.

ORIGINAL SPONSORS:

S. 3637
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
H.R. 7142
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)

SUPPORT:

ClearPath Action, the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA), University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), Iowa State University, Breakthrough Institute, Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action), and American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.