Why 2026 could see the end of the Farm Bill era of American agriculture policy

Farm bills – famously complex legislative and spending balances between farm subsidies, food assistance, conservation and more – have tended to be passed about every five years since 1933.

By: Christopher Neubert, Arizona State University and Kathleen Merrigan, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 7, 2026

Words: 1,276

Last Updated: 2 days, 7 hours ago

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By Christopher Neubert, Arizona State University and Kathleen Merrigan, Arizona State University

With Congress back in session, legislators will take up a set of issues they haven’t comprehensively addressed since 2018 – the year the last farm bill passed.

Farm bills are massive pieces of legislation that address a diverse constellation of topics, including agricultural commodities, conservation, trade, nutrition, rural development, energy, forestry and more. Because of their complexity, farm bills are difficult to negotiate …

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