The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on March 4, 2026. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) responded on March 6, calling the vote an important step but stressing that more work lies ahead. The conservation organization is pushing for a full bipartisan, bicameral Farm Bill before the current 2018 legislation expires on September 30, 2026.
The Farm Bill is the federal government’s largest investment in the conservation of private working lands, providing roughly $6 billion per year for voluntary programs that help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners manage soil, water, and wildlife habitat. Without a new bill, those programs face continued uncertainty. The Farm Bill 2026 committee vote is the first concrete legislative step toward finally replacing the bill that has been extended multiple times since its original 2023 expiration.
What did The Nature Conservancy say about the Farm Bill 2026 vote?
Jenny Conner Nelms, Associate Director of Legislative Affairs at TNC, welcomed the committee’s work. She thanked Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and House Agriculture Committee members for their commitment to conservation investments that help protect America’s farms, ranches, and forests. However, she made clear that more progress is still needed.
TNC called on Congress to deliver a bill that supports resilience in the agricultural economy, incentivizes regenerative practices, enhances water quality and quantity, maintains healthy forests, and promotes equitable opportunities for all producers to access conservation programs and markets. Furthermore, TNC emphasized that it approaches the Farm Bill not just as an advocacy group but as an actual landowner and operator of agricultural and timber lands across the country.
For context on how conservation agriculture policies are also evolving in Europe, Agroinformacion’s agriculture section tracks the latest developments in sustainable farming and land stewardship.
Why does the Farm Bill 2026 matter for farmers and the environment?
The Farm Bill is not just a conservation document. It governs crop insurance, nutrition assistance, rural development, and agricultural research. In addition, its conservation title funds voluntary programs that give farmers financial and technical help to address soil erosion, improve water quality, restore wetlands, and build climate resilience on their land.
Key programs at stake include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Together, these programs have committed more than $21 billion to conservation contracts between 2019 and 2024. According to TNC, that federal investment generates a return of $1.58 in economic value for every dollar spent and supports more than 46,000 jobs annually through 2029.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service administers many of these programs and works directly with landowners to implement them. Demand for these programs already far exceeds available funding, making a fully funded new bill a priority for agricultural and conservation communities alike.
What happens next for the Farm Bill 2026?
The committee vote moves the bill to the full House for consideration. From there, the Senate must act before the two chambers can negotiate a final version. The current 2018 Farm Bill runs out on September 30, 2026, which puts pressure on Congress to move quickly. Meanwhile, TNC says it will continue to work with farmers, ranchers, and partners across the country to push for conservation investments that deliver for both people and nature.
The organization also underlined the importance of ensuring all producers, including historically underserved communities, have fair access to Farm Bill programs and markets. In addition, TNC highlighted the role of regenerative agricultural practices in building long-term land and economic resilience, a priority that it hopes the final bill will reflect.
The official statement from The Nature Conservancy on the Farm Bill 2026 committee vote was published on the TNC Newsroom on March 6, 2026.