Researchers protecting agriculture from climate impacts require increased government support — yet funding is shrinking
For years, Erin McGuire applied her scientific expertise to grow crops like tomatoes, onions, and peppers at the University of California, Davis. Leading a laboratory dedicated to agricultural advancement, she worked alongside a global network to cultivate drought-tolerant plants, improve produce storage techniques, and help increase income for farmers locally and abroad.
But then, the funding dried up. Her lab, previously supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, faced abrupt closure as the Trump administration began to dismantle similar initiatives. Just as her team prepared to collect critical data gathered over two years, they were handed a stop-work notice. Staff were let go, and McGuire's own position soon followed.
“It’s been absolutely heartbreaking,” she said. “I’m not sure how we move forward from this.”
America urgently needs stronger public investment in agricultural research to address climate change, a recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences argues. Instead, funding is slipping. Data from the USDA reveals that, by 2019, U.S. spending on agricultural research had declined by roughly $2 billion compared to its peak in 2002—a drop of nearly a third. Funding cuts to climate-related and international research programs are only making things worse. Farmers, researchers, and consumers all face the consequences.
Stable financial support enables scientists to fortify crops against extreme weather, discover new agricultural applications, enhance worker safety, develop innovative planting tools, and craft effective pest control strategies. These efforts may also reveal how farming can contribute positively in the fight against climate change.
“The implications for American agriculture are very serious,” said Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, an associate professor at Cornell University and lead author of the study.
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Trump administration accelerates research cutbacks
As the Trump administration halts scientific projects under the EPA, USDA, and USAID, researchers like Ortiz-Bobea are witnessing vital field studies abruptly ended, research positions eliminated, and a gap growing between climate challenges and the resources available to farmers.
The Environmental Protection Agency declined to comment, and inquiries sent to the USDA and USAID went unanswered.
Ortiz-Bobea's team analyzed U.S. agricultural productivity, examined how future climate impacts could suppress outputs, and calculated the research investment required to counteract these effects.
He likened the situation to biking into strong winds: “To keep the same pace, you need to pedal harder—research is that extra push against resistance.”
Other nations are ramping up investments. China, for instance, now spends nearly double what the U.S. does on agricultural research and has quintupled its investment since 2000, according to Omanjana Goswami of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The cessation of support also impacted the Feed the Future Innovation Labs—a network of 17 research hubs across 13 universities focused on food security and climate resilience. The sudden halt rendered years of research efforts obsolete.
“We’re talking about millions of dollars invested in projects that now won’t see completion,” said David Tschirley, who directed the Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research at Michigan State University since 2019.
Bill Werner, greenhouse operations leader at UC Davis, moves through rows of plants and cooling systems at the Core Greenhouse Complex, May 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Bill Werner, greenhouse operations leader at UC Davis, moves through rows of plants and cooling systems at the Core Greenhouse Complex, May 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
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Seeking alternative sources of research funding
Some in the industry are hopeful that private entities may bridge the growing funding void. “There’s an opportunity for the private sector to step in,” said Swati Hegde with the World Resources Institute’s Food, Land, and Water Program.
With portions of the planet becoming increasingly unsuitable for major crops, agricultural leaders like Bayer CEO Bill Anderson are alarmed. His company committed nearly $3 billion to agricultural research last year but says there’s a limit to what corporate R&D can do.
“Early-stage research is hard to justify economically for us,” Anderson noted. “That’s where public investment is irreplaceable.”
Goswami also pointed out concerns around transparency in private research funding. Compared to government grants, corporate contributions often lack public accountability—and may come with specific market-driven agendas.
From researchers to shoppers, consequences abound
The ripple effects of these cuts won’t be fully visible for years, but the damage is already underway. Many experts warn of worsening crises in parts of the world where yields are falling due to rising temperatures and conflict is growing.
“If we ignore the global food picture, we could face a catastrophe,” said David Zilberman, an award-winning agricultural economics professor at UC Berkeley.
Even within the United States, economic consequences loom large—starting with the price of groceries.
“A growing population demands higher productivity, or prices will spike,” said Tom Hertel, agricultural economics professor at Purdue. “With research stalling, in another decade or two, we’ll see reduced yields.”
Yet for many researchers, the pain runs more than fiscal—it’s deeply personal.
“Morale is incredibly low,” Zilberman said, especially among young scientists who had high hopes for advancing food-related solutions on a global scale.
Those ambitions are now paused indefinitely, while once-active research fields fall into neglect.
In Chipinge, Zimbabwe, a local farmer nurtures vegetables in a garden supported by a USAID-backed climate-agriculture initiative, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli, File)
In Chipinge, Zimbabwe, a local farmer nurtures vegetables in a garden supported by a USAID-backed climate-agriculture initiative, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli, File)
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