News

Following the longest shutdown in the history of the United States federal government, a long-awaited and highly debated funding package, the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, was signed into law on November 12, 2025. 

The legislation provides a full year of agriculture and FDA funding for FY26 Appropriations, along with a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, in lieu of the long-overdue five-year farm bill. The bill makes significant funding adjustments for key agricultural agencies and programs, many at lower levels than Land Core’s prior recommendations to strengthen support for soil health. 

Land Core previously identified four key policy recommendations in response to the Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment released on May 22, 2025. We noted that any public policy to address the chronic disease crisis and increasing nutrition insecurity should consider the soil from which food is grown.

The connection between soil health and human health plays a pivotal, but often overlooked role in a wide variety of systemic health problems. A robust and growing body of evidence shows that biologically active, nutrient-rich soils yield more nutrient-dense foods, optimally supporting human health and development, while simultaneously building resilient food production systems. Any public policy to address the chronic disease crisis and increasing nutrition insecurity should consider the soil from which food is grown.

The 119th Congress has continued to introduce (and re-introduce) a range of agricultural legislation with both direct and indirect implications for soil health. While the overall pace of bill introductions has moderated slightly, there is evidence of growing momentum around shared priorities such as strengthening the resilience of farming communities and expanding economic opportunities for farmers through the expansion of precision agriculture and conservation practices.

It’s been a very busy year thus far, with our team adding many new bills and several pieces of reintroduced legislation from the previous Congress. This indicates not only continued support for soil health but a commitment to carry over and continue the groundwork laid in preparation for the overdue Farm Bill.

Explore the archive of our bill tracker alerts, which provide regular updates on soil health legislation in Congress.

Although Land Core is focused specifically on the soil health and the importance of  supporting US agriculture in ensuring that we have the ability to independently grow the healthy foods, fibers, and fuels that we need to thrive as a nation, there is an undeniable correlation between the crops grown in healthy soils (vs degraded soils) and the health and well-being of those who consume them.

Land Core is pleased to provide input on NRCS’s commitment to improving Conservation Practice Standards (CPS). The comments address Soil Carbon Amendment; Herbaceous Weed Treatment; Nutrient Management; and Prescribed Burning. Detailed recommendations are also made regarding the need for increased technical assistance, and for innovative practices, such as incorporating data about the risk-reducing benefits of soil health practices into farm credit and crop insurance programs.

Here is a high-level list of policies that the incoming administration could implement at HHS to advance soil health as a foundational vehicle in the pursuit of human health. The policies are streamlined to highlight key initiatives and combined actions across agencies for maximum effectiveness. 

Soil health is the foundation for national food security. It is the bedrock of American public health and the key to the integrity and reliability of our country’s food system. Healthy soils are a vital path to resilience and prosperity for American producers.  

The following recommendations have been designed to provide specific guidance to the incoming presidential administration and focuses on high-level, actionable priorities for key agencies across the federal government to advance soil health.

While there hasn’t been as much Farm Bill activity recently, the House and Senate Ag-FDA Appropriations bills both passed and await floor time — we’ve added these to our Federal Bill Tracker and outlined below. We’ve also continued to track Core Soil Health bills introduced since the beginning of the summer.