Farm bill keeps the system intact
Farm Action says the draft 2026 farm bill, released on February 13, 2026, by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, sets up what could be a familiar outcome: modest technical tweaks around the edges of the food system, paired with a deeper entrenchment of the structures that already dominate it.
While the bill includes some improvements to specialty crop insurance and risk management tools, these are overshadowed by provisions that reinforce consolidation and limit the ability of states to set their own agricultural standards.
Farm Action says the broader pattern is hard to miss. Instead of rebalancing power toward farmers and regional food systems, the bill appears to preserve the advantages of the largest players in the supply chain, from input manufacturers to industrial-scale producers.
“The 2026 Farm Bill is an opportunity for Congress to reshape our food system, but the House’s newly released bill text signals more of the same,” said Sarah Carden, Farm Action’s Research and Policy Director.
“Through the markup process, we will continue urging Congress to use this opportunity to restore competition to the food and agriculture system, rebuild local and regional supply chains, and support farmers in feeding their communities healthy food.”
Farm Action’s farm bill platform lays out seven actionable ways Congress can address the impacts of food and farm system consolidation and bring back competition to give independent farmers and ranchers a fair shake.
Read more here: https://farmaction.us/farm-bill-2026/
