Trump Administration to roll out $1B-plus plan for pesticide research and bolster food security in the US

In a post published on its website, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the US government will direct over $1 billion toward what the agency called farm modernization, as well as regenerative agriculture and chemical exposure and pesticide research. The move is part of a new plan tied to Executive Order 14212, which established the Make America Healthy Again Commission.

The HHS, along with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will manage the funding package according to a three-pillar strategy designed to strengthen long-term food supply security and accelerate on-farm innovation.

The agencies said the plan supports the White House goal of ensuring a stable domestic supply of key agricultural inputs, including elemental phosphorus and glyphosate production.

The USDA’s $840M commitment 

As part of the initiative, the EPA, the USDA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will develop a research and evaluation framework to assess cumulative exposure across chemical classes in the food supply.

The agencies said the effort will use and develop “new approach methodologies to overcome prior barriers to fully understanding human health and environmental risks of chemical contaminants, and addressing these risks for even greater food security and safety”. Projects will more specifically look into the effects of prolonged pesticide exposure.  

The USDA will allocate $840 million across several conservation and innovation programs during the 2026 marketing year. The department will dedicate $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program to fund regenerative agriculture projects and practices. 

The agency will also invest $140 million through the Strengthening Agricultural Systems Program. The initiative aims to increase agricultural production while “enhancing farmer prosperity” by funding large-scale projects addressing local, regional, or national issues. 

Projects will support new uses and markets for agricultural products, innovative solutions to plant and animal pests and diseases, and efforts to combat food- and diet-related chronic diseases.

Grand-prize challenges for pesticide-safety advancement

The HHS and the EPA will commit $200 million to research initiatives. The NIH will offer a $100 million grand prize challenge for researchers to develop solutions to evaluate exposure, diagnosis, and treatment of cumulative chemical exposures (including the use of pesticides) and their effects on individual health.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health will provide $100 million to support the development of technologies to reduce reliance on chemical crop-protection tools. Funding will support technologies such as electrothermal and electrical weeding, robotic weeding systems, precision mechanical and thermal weed control, biological and non-toxic herbicides, mulching systems, and integrated systems.

The EPA will allocate $30 million for a grand-prize challenge focused on cost-effective alternatives to pre-harvest desiccation use of pesticides. The agency said the challenge aims to reduce pesticide use while providing new tools for farmers.

*All images are referential.

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