The Senate Committee approved the Farming 2.0 bill

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry marked up and advanced the Agricultural Act of 2026: Farm Bill 2.0 bill. According to the new document, nearly $2 billion is reallocated from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The Environmental Defense Fund notes that demand for voluntary conservation programs already exceeds available resources. In fiscal year 2025, only one in four EQIP applicants received support. Due to funding cuts, more than 56,000 farmers whose program applications were approved will be left without funds.

The organization points out that redirecting funds to close gaps in other programs is not a sustainable solution. This creates a risk of new funding cuts for EQIP and other conservation programs in the future, even though farmers and livestock producers face difficult economic and production conditions.