This Report was originally published by Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech Foundation on October 2, 2026. Click here to read the entire report.
American farmers and ranchers are stewards of the land and innovators in agriculture, steadily increasing yields while keeping input costs relatively stable over the past 50 years. However, that leadership position is no longer guaranteed, as U.S. public agricultural R&D has declined by two-thirds since its peak in 2002. Competitors such as China and Brazil are accelerating investments in agricultural research to strengthen their positions in food and agricultural markets.
Maintaining America’s leadership in agricultural innovation means helping farmers and ranchers become even more efficient and productive. As input costs rise and weather remains unpredictable, producers need tools and practices that improve efficiency, strengthen responsiveness and support long-term profitability. This is why agricultural innovation and conservation naturally move in the same direction.
Programs like the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) are designed to help close the commercialization gap for breakthrough agricultural technologies that are often too early-stage for private capital alone. Modeled after successful ARPA-style innovation programs, AgARDA has the potential to accelerate high-risk, high-reward agricultural research that strengthens productivity, improves resilience and enhances U.S. competitiveness. Whether advancing precision agriculture tools, scaling biochar innovation or improving nutrient-use efficiency, these investments can help farmers voluntarily adopt practical technologies that improve operational performance while reducing emissions.
Innovations such as enhanced-efficiency fertilizers (EEFs), precision tools and biochar are central in moving producers through the innovation transition, improving long-term soil performance while managing costs and reducing emissions. EEFs can advance both agricultural efficiency and conservation goals by improving nitrogen-use efficiency through controlled nutrient-release and stabilization technologies that enhance nutrient absorption by crops. Precision nutrient management and soil monitoring also allow farmers to optimize fertilizer application in real time, reducing waste while maintaining strong yields. Together, these tools help prevent excess fertilizer nitrates from converting into nitrous oxide, which accounts for roughly 44 percent of U.S. agricultural emissions and is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere.
Biochar also represents a promising opportunity to improve both productivity and resilience. When used on farmlands, biochar can improve nutrient availability, soil structure and water retention. Field research has shown biochar applications can increase crop yields by nearly 11%, reduce nitrous oxide emissions by roughly 20 percent, reduce methane emissions by approximately 13 percent and increase soil organic carbon by more than 50 percent. Scaling technologies like EEFs, precision tools, and biochar will require continued investment in agricultural innovation and commercialization through federally funded programs like AgARDA.
ClearPath’s mission is to accelerate American innovation to reduce global emissions, including advancing technologies that strengthen agricultural productivity and resilience. ClearPath works with policymakers, researchers, industry leaders and agricultural stakeholders to advance market-based policies that accelerate deployment of breakthrough technologies and strengthen America’s innovation advantage. “American agriculture has always led through innovation,” said ClearPath CEO Jeremy Harrell. “By investing in next-generation technologies that improve productivity, efficiency and resilience, we can ensure U.S. farmers remain globally competitive while continuing to reduce emissions through practical, producer-oriented solutions.”
As voluntary conservation practices in agriculture continue to evolve, innovation will remain essential to ensuring farmers have access to affordable, scalable, productivity-enhancing tools that support long-term agricultural growth.
DistillationFor decades, American agricultural innovation has helped farmers increase productivity, strengthen resilience and improve efficiency. But U.S. agricultural R&D investment has stagnated while global competitors rapidly expand their innovation capabilities. Technologies such as enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, precision nutrient systems, advanced soil analytics and biochar can help farmers improve yields, reduce input waste, strengthen soil health and lower emissions. Programs like the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) can help accelerate these breakthroughs by advancing high-risk, high-reward technologies from research to commercial deployment. ClearPath supports market-based policies that strengthen U.S. agricultural competitiveness and ensure farmers have access to practical, productivity-enhancing innovations.
This Report was originally published by Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Tech Foundation on October 2, 2026. Click here to read the entire report.
