By Vinnie Trometter, OFRF Policy Manager
When members of the Senate Agriculture Committee awoke on August 6, they already knew that the markup of their version of the Farm Bill was going to fail. However, after the vote, members left with a sense of optimism, even if the prospects of the Farm Bill passing this year had been given a potentially mortal wound.
What on earth happened? And what are the paths forward for organic research programs like the Organic Agriculture Research Extension Initiative (OREI) and the Organic Transitions Program (ORG), the only two programs dedicated to organic agriculture research at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)? We hope that this autopsy will give you an understanding about the lengths organic farmers, organic researchers, and OFRF went to promote organic research in the lead up to the markup, why the markup ultimately failed, and why the path forward could be beneficial for organic research.
SNAP Cost-Share Delay was the Main Hurdle
Democrats are demanding a two year extension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cost-share as a condition to supporting a bipartisan Farm Bill. Prior to the Big Beautiful Bill, SNAP benefits were 100% paid for by the federal government. In an attempt to lower state SNAP error-rates (the percentage of SNAP benefits issued incorrectly by states), last year’s party-line Big Beautiful Bill pushed states to pay a cost-share if their error rates were above 6%. This cost-share would start on October 1, 2027. Most concerning for state coffers though, states would have to pay a threshold of either 5%, 10%, or 15% of total SNAP benefits if their error rates were not below the 6% threshold.
Since states have budgets that are not nearly as extensive as federal ones, many governors are debating whether they can withstand the fiscal shock.
In 2024, Pennsylvania had an error rate just under the 11% national average. Its governor questioned whether its budget could handle administering the program at all. This led Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) to declare a state of emergency so the commonwealth could prepare funds for a spike in food insecurity. Another example is Florida, which was one of four states that had an error rate of 15% and above in 2024. Despite its error rate decreasing the following year, the incoming Florida governor will be forced to pay nearly a billion dollars, doubling the state’s deficit.
Though the Republicans could have passed the Farm Bill out of Committee with a simple majority, the absence of Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made it necessary for the Farm Bill to be bipartisan. As a result, Committee Chair Senator John Boozman (R-AR) asked the White House to back a Farm Bill compromise around SNAP.
The compromise offered would have delayed the cost-share provision for states with a payment error rate of 6% or higher until fiscal year 2029. But it also raises the percentage that states need to pay if their error rates are 10% or higher in 2031 from 15% to 20%.
However this compromise was rejected by Democrats who argued that since six states with exceptionally high error rates received a two-year extension, all states should also be given an extension. Thus, the markup failed. Even though Chairman Boozman has stated that he intends to hold another vote after the August recess, it is unlikely that it will succeed unless more compromises are made.
Where Does This Leave Organic Research?
Efforts to increase investment in OREI and ORG through the Farm Bill derive from the flagship organic research bill, the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act. This bill was supported by the vast majority of the Democrats on the Agriculture Committee. However, it had failed to gain Senate bipartisan support, mostly due to the fact that investing in organic research inherently costs money, which Chairman Boozman resists due to his intention in making the Farm Bill budget neutral.
The draft that the Senate was poised to markup did not include any additional investments in OREI or ORG. It also did not include first time authorization of ORG like the House Farm Bill. In the lead up to the markup, organic farmers, researchers, and universities had reached out to Senators on the Committee asking them to invest in the two programs. Amendments to the Farm Bill, which would have done so, were ready to be introduced, but held back when it became apparent that the markup was going to fail.
If more compromises are necessary to entice Democrats, that means the organic community has another chance to improve both programs. Even so, it is not a guarantee that investments in either of them will happen. However, the best chance to advance the bill was undoubtedly last week, since official business will be difficult before the midterm elections.
Ultimately, there is a very real possibility that the Farm Bill does not get done this Congress and will have to wait until at least 2027 to be complete. However, since more Democrats have been supportive of the OSRI Act than Republicans, perhaps any change in Congress after the midterms could improve the prospects of greater investment in organic research.
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