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The Microbial Sciences Drive Food Production, Animal Health and Agricultural Innovation

In December 2025, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins released a memorandum directing the Department of Agriculture’s Research priorities include increasing profitability of farmers and ranchers, protecting the integrity of American agriculture from invasive species and promoting soil health to regenerate long-term productivity of land, among others. Investments to the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the Agricultural Research Service and the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority are critical to achieving the priorities set forth in the memorandum and the microbial sciences are part of the solution.

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿requests Congress to provide at least $500 million in funding for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) in FY2027 to invest in crucial areas aimed at addressing our nation’s most urgent food, agriculture and public health challenges. AFRI is the nation’s leading competitive grants program for the agricultural sciences, supporting microbiology research at universities throughout the country. Research supported by AFRI assists in developing solutions to combat emerging threats that negatively impact the agriculture sector, such as avian influenza and antimicrobial resistance, improve livestock and crop resilience to variable weather conditions, ensuring a safe food supply and supporting precision agriculture to increase efficiency and sustainability. This includes harnessing microbes to increase pollinator microbiome resiliency to environmental stressors, boosting crop productivity by leveraging microbes that stimulate plant growth and development and manipulating the microbiome of livestock and soil to improve feed efficiency and crop yields.

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿requests Congress to provide at least $1.877 billion for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in FY2027. The ARS is the chief scientific intramural research agency of the USDA, conducting research in more than 90 locations throughout the U.S. to find solutions to agricultural problems including enhanced disease surveillance. For instance, earlier this year ARS scientists in Oregon developed a to quickly analyze and identify invasive pathogens and pests that harm the agriculture sector. The surveillance platform helps improve plant health and aids in reducing the spread of new and emerging diseases. For example, scientists using the platform were able to identify and combat stem rust, which damages cereal crops, and sudden oak death, which infects more than  Funding of at least $1.877 billion will ensure that ARS can respond effectively to new plant and animal pests and diseases, build resilience to extreme weather and environmental stresses and address food safety and nutrition security concerns. Innovative research supported by this funding helps American farmers produce safe, nutritious food while protecting natural resources for future generations.

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿asks Congress to provide an investment of at least $10 million for the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). AGARDA was authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill to develop technologies and products to ensure the U.S. maintains leadership in agricultural research and development. However, Congress has appropriated less than $4 million for AGARDA to date. Advanced research agencies have been effectively deployed at the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to tackle the biggest challenges facing industries in novel and groundbreaking ways. Modeled after successful advanced research agencies like the DOD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, support for AGARDA will foster research, development and technology transfer resulting in significant benefits across the U.S. food and agriculture value chain. It is critical for AGARDA to receive enough funding to appoint leadership, hire staff and support enough agricultural research projects to show that this model can produce impactful results.

USDA-Funded Research is Needed to Address Antimicrobial Resistance

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿requests an increase of $85 million for antimicrobial resistance priorities at USDA. Antimicrobial resistance in agricultural runoff arises from antibiotic residue from livestock, aquaculture and other sources. The development of resistant bacteria can spread through the food chain, amplifying an already serious threat to human and animal health. With most emerging diseases and pandemics originating from animals, including food animals, the USDA needs more resources to support its work on biodefense to protect both people and animals from resistant infections. This includes an increase of $25 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to strengthen the Zoonotic Disease Management program and support for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). A $60 million increase for the Research, Education, and Economics mission area is needed to support agricultural research at the ARS and AFRI. These funds will enable USDA investigators and scientists to better understand the factors driving the emergence of resistant pathogens, develop new vaccines and antibiotic alternatives.

The USDA’s 2023 Strategy to Address Antimicrobial Resistance states the importance of accelerating our understanding and minimizing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Increased research support on antimicrobial resistance would lead to a better understanding of the science of microbes, how resistance emerges and is spread, and how pathogens react to countermeasures. This includes research support to increase our understanding of the microbiome in animals and various environments and production systems to stay ahead of the disease curve.

Conclusion

Our nation’s ability to meet the 21st century challenges of human nutrition and food security, conservation of our nation’s resources and antimicrobial resistance will only be possible if Congress provides robust and sustained funding increases for agricultural research at USDA. ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿requests Congress to provide $500 million for AFRI, at least $1.877 billion for ARS and at least $10 million for AGARDA for FY2027. These investments will preserve agricultural research capacity and support innovative microbial sciences research that benefit American farmers and the public.