{"id":58414,"date":"2026-05-07T08:48:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodtank.com\/?p=58414"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:48:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:48:45","slug":"what-the-house-farm-bill-means-for-snap-pesticides-and-u-s-food-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodtank.com\/news\/2026\/05\/what-the-house-farm-bill-means-for-snap-pesticides-and-u-s-food-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"What the House Farm Bill Means for SNAP, Pesticides, and U.S. Food Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, bringing the country one step closer to a new Farm Bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

After fierce debates over issues including the year-round sale of E15\u2014a fuel blend of 15 percent ethanol\u2014and pesticide provisions, reports emerged that the vote on the legislation would be delayed. But lawmakers were able to reach a consensus and passed the Bill with a bipartisan vote of 224-200.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anti-hunger advocates had hoped the House would revisit changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) seen in the <\/span>tax and spending bill<\/span><\/a> last summer, but those have remained in place. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that <\/span>one in eight<\/span><\/a> participants will lose access to some food relief as a result.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t understand how bad it\u2019s going to be,\u201d Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of the <\/span>Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University<\/span><\/a>, tells Food Tank. Across her home state of Arizona, food pantries are already seeing lines grow longer. But because the worst won\u2019t be felt for months to come, it will likely take a while for the effects to sink in. <\/span>\u201cA lot of people who are going out to vote in November won’t realize that the safety net is pulled out from under them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Representatives did, however, remove a provision designed to shield pesticide manufacturers from health-related lawsuits tied to their products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t like a lot of what’s in this Farm Bill. It doesn’t excite me,\u201d Merrigan tells Food Tank. \u201cBut I have to say that pesticide victory was sweet.\u201d <\/span>The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement likely played a role in this win, she acknowledges. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re seeing this pesticide issue being a tipping point right now in food and agriculture policy,\u201d Merrigan says. \u201cAnd a lot of this has really bubbled up through the MAHA movement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

From here, the Senate will take up the Farm Bill, with a markup <\/span>expected<\/span><\/a> in late May or early June. If they succeed in passing the legislative package, it will be the first Farm Bill since 2018. \u201cThey typically are on an every five year timeline,\u201d Merrigan explains. \u201cWe’re very much overdue at this point.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Merrigan believes that a new Farm Bill isn\u2019t something to celebrate if it\u2019s compromised, and she hopes that lawmakers will act to protect farmers and eaters. \u201cI would say the costs of having success in the Farm Bill\u2014if the Farm Bill looks like what just passed in the House\u2014is not worth it. We need to stand tall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen to the full conversation with Kathleen Merrigan on Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg to hear more about what else may change with this legislation, the impending impacts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s reorganization plans, and what lies at the heart of a successful Farm Bill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n