Farmers across the United States are dealing with rising input costs, unstable markets, extreme weather, and growing consolidation in the agricultural industry. Many expected the next Farm Bill to provide meaningful investments and modern solutions that would strengthen family farms, support rural economies, and create a more resilient food system.

Instead, critics from across the agricultural and food policy community say this proposal largely maintains the status quo while including controversial provisions that could undermine public trust.

One of the most troubling provisions in the proposed Farm Bill would override state animal welfare laws that voters have already approved. Measures like California’s Proposition 12 and similar standards in other states were passed to prevent the extreme confinement of animals such as pigs and egg-laying hens in industrial farming operations. Critics say this provision primarily benefits large-scale industrial producers while undermining farmers who have already invested in humane systems.

Another controversial provision in the bill would make it significantly harder for people to hold pesticide manufacturers accountable when their products are linked to serious health risks. It could shield large chemical companies from lawsuits—even in cases where people allege that widely used pesticides contributed to illnesses such as cancer. Farmers, farmworkers, and rural families are often the most directly exposed to these chemicals. 

At the same time, the proposal restricts certain federal incentives that farmers have used to lower energy costs through renewable energy projects. And despite the financial pressures farmers are currently facing, the bill offers few new investments to help rural communities adapt and thrive.

Members of the House Agriculture Committee and the full U.S. House of Representatives must go back to the table and deliver a Farm Bill that truly supports farmers, rural communities, and humane animal practices.