USDA ERS · agricultural policy · Farm Bill

Farm Bill Basics

Q: What is the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill is a major piece of US legislation renewed approximately every 5 years that governs agricultural and food policy. It authorizes commodity support programs, conservation programs, crop insurance, nutrition assistance (SNAP), rural development, research, and trade programs. The bill typically runs $400–500 billion over 10 years, with about 80% going to SNAP/nutrition programs.

Q: When was the last Farm Bill passed?

The 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) was the most recent completed reauthorization, authorized through 2023. It was extended by continuing resolutions into 2024-2025 while Congress negotiated a new bill. The 2024/2025 Farm Bill negotiations focused on commodity reference prices, conservation funding, and SNAP program changes.

Q: How much does the Farm Bill cost?

The 2018 Farm Bill was estimated at approximately $428 billion over 10 years. About 76-80% typically goes to nutrition assistance (SNAP). Commodity programs account for roughly 7-8%, crop insurance 8-9%, and conservation programs 6-7%. The exact cost depends heavily on commodity prices and disaster frequency.

The legislation behind US agricultural policy, what it funds, why most of it is actually nutrition spending, and how its commodity, conservation, and disaster programs have paid out since 2015.

By PlainFarmData Editorial · USDA ERS source →

PlainFarmData Editorial Published March 24, 2026 Updated July 4, 2026

Key Takeaway

The Farm Bill is renewed roughly every five years and runs $400–500 billion over a decade, but about 80% funds SNAP nutrition assistance, the farm programs themselves are a minority of the bill. According to USDA ERS data, among those farm programs the commodity safety net (ARC/PLC) and conservation spending are relatively steady, while disaster and emergency aid drives most of the year-to-year swing.

Conservation spending is the steadiest of the three farm-program streams; commodity (ARC/PLC) payments move with prices and yields, while disaster and emergency aid produces the largest spikes. FY2025–26 figures are USDA forecasts, not settled outlays.

Source: USDA ERS Farm Income and Wealth Statistics

What Is the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill is the primary US agricultural and food policy legislation, renewed approximately every 5 years by Congress. It is one of the most sweeping pieces of federal legislation, covering everything from commodity price supports to nutrition assistance to rural broadband.

Despite its name, most Farm Bill spending goes to nutrition programs, about 76–80% of the total authorized spending funds SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps). Agricultural programs account for the remaining 20–24%.

What the Farm Bill Covers

Nutrition (Title IV)

~76% of spending

SNAP, TEFAP, SFMNP, and fresh-fruit programs. Food assistance for low-income households.

Commodity Programs (Title I)

~7% of spending

ARC, PLC, dairy programs, sugar program, and marketing loans for covered commodities.

Crop Insurance (Title XI)

~8% of spending

Premium subsidies, FCIP administration, and USDA RMA budget authorization.

Conservation (Title II)

~6% of spending

CRP, EQIP, CSP, ACEP, and working-lands conservation programs.

Other Titles

Trade (Title III), Credit (Title V), Rural Development (Title VI), Research (Title VII), Forestry (Title VIII), Energy (Title IX), Horticulture (Title X), Miscellaneous (Title XII).

A Brief History

1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act, first modern farm bill, created during the Great Depression to raise commodity prices

1949 Agricultural Act, established permanent law that still applies when Farm Bills expire (sets high price supports)

1973 Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act, shifted to deficiency payments, added food stamps

1996 FAIR Act ("Freedom to Farm") - decoupled payments from production, reduced supply controls

2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, restored direct payments, added counter-cyclical payments

2008 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act, major conservation and energy programs expansion

2014 Agricultural Act, eliminated direct payments, created the ARC and PLC programs

2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, boosted conservation funding, expanded hemp production, modified ARC/PLC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill is major legislation renewed ~every 5 years governing US agricultural and food policy. At $400–500B over 10 years, about 80% funds SNAP nutrition assistance. It authorizes ARC, PLC, CRP, crop insurance, and dozens of other programs.

When was the last Farm Bill passed?

The 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act) was the most recent completed reauthorization, authorized through September 2023. It was extended while Congress negotiated a new bill. The 2024/2025 negotiations focused on commodity reference prices and conservation funding.

How much does the Farm Bill cost?

The 2018 Farm Bill was estimated at ~$428B over 10 years. About 76-80% goes to nutrition assistance (SNAP), 7-8% to commodity programs, 8-9% to crop insurance, and 6-7% to conservation. Cost varies with commodity prices and disaster frequency.

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This guide is for informational purposes only. Program details and funding levels change with each Farm Bill reauthorization. For current program information, see USDA.gov.

Compiled by PlainFarmData Editorial, Farm Subsidy Editorial Team

This guide's Farm Bill payment-history chart renders live from USDA ERS farm-income data, the Farm Bill structure, title, and program-share figures in the text are editorially researched and written from public legislative and USDA sources, not pulled from a live database query. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.