WASHINGTON, D.C. (AVC News) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $180 million investment Tuesday to launch the Seed Sovereignty Initiative, a program aimed at strengthening U.S. agricultural security and expanding the use of plant genetic resources.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the initiative will invest in the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Plant Germplasm System, which houses more than 600,000 plant genetic accessions representing more than 16,000 species.
The funding will be used over two years to characterize and sequence collections of major crops, helping researchers identify valuable genetic traits and gaps in the nation’s agricultural resources.
USDA said the effort is intended to reduce the risk of future dependence on foreign sources for critical agricultural resources. Foreign competitors are actively acquiring and sequencing plant genetic resources, while much of the genetic information contained in U.S. collections has not yet been fully sequenced.
The initiative will also use advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to identify traits that could help researchers respond to emerging pests and diseases and develop new crop varieties.
“This work will help USDA and American researchers respond more quickly to emerging pests and diseases and support the development of new crop varieties to benefit U.S. farmers and consumers,” the department said.
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden described America’s agricultural genetic resources as a strategic national asset and said the initiative will help identify vulnerabilities and reduce reliance on foreign competitors.
The department also announced an expansion of its existing memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Justice to strengthen competition in agricultural input markets, with an emphasis on seeds.
USDA said the expanded partnership is intended to provide farmers with greater transparency, stronger competition and more choices in the seed marketplace.
Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by AVC News
