Key Takeaways
- Triple Helix Institute publishes Catalyzing U.S. AgTech Innovation report on Capitol Hill
- The report outlines federal actions to enhance agricultural resilience and competitiveness
- Key recommendations include support for research, scale-up, and implementation ecosystems
- The initiative involved national roundtables with researchers, farmers, startups, and investors
- Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski endorsed the briefing, emphasizing its relevance to U.S. agriculture policy
Triple Helix Institute Report Highlights Need for Federal Action in AgTech Development
The Triple Helix Institute for Agriculture, Climate, and Society (Triple Helix) has released a new report titled Catalyzing U.S. AgTech Innovation: Opportunities for the Federal Government, calling for increased and targeted public sector engagement in agricultural technology. The nonprofit presented the report during a briefing on Capitol Hill, supported by Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13).
The report focuses on how federal policy can play a more active role in ensuring the long-term competitiveness and resilience of U.S. agriculture, particularly amid growing challenges related to climate change, pests, diseases, and global supply chain disruptions.
Identifying Strategic Gaps in AgTech Innovation
Three Key Areas for Federal Involvement
Based on stakeholder input collected through roundtable discussions across New York, Illinois, California, and North Carolina, the report identifies three primary areas where federal involvement could strengthen the AgTech ecosystem:
- Early-stage research and data accessibility: Supporting proactive discovery and public data infrastructure
- Entrepreneurial scale-up: Facilitating the transition of research into market-ready solutions
- Implementation ecosystems: Enhancing the infrastructure needed to deploy AgTech at scale
Stakeholders participating in the initiative included academic researchers, startup leaders, investors, commodity groups, and farmers. Many emphasized the historic role of federal investment in U.S. agricultural leadership and the risks posed by a continued decline in public sector support.
Sector and Policy Alignment
Dr. Sarah Garland, Founder and Executive Director of Triple Helix, stated: “This report outlines actionable opportunities for the federal government to strengthen the U.S. AgTech innovation ecosystem. Catalyzing the American AgTech sector requires effective collaboration across research, investment, and policy.”
Congresswoman Budzinski added: “As Triple Helix highlights, staying at the top of agricultural technology is key to maintaining our global leadership in this vital sector.”
She referenced the work of agricultural research institutions in Central and Southern Illinois and called for sustained federal investment in their efforts to reduce food costs, improve nutrition, and support farmers.
Historical Context and Global Comparisons
The report notes that U.S. dominance in agricultural innovation was historically enabled by strong federal investment. However, countries such as China and members of the EU now outspend the U.S. in agricultural R&D, raising concerns about the ability to maintain leadership amid global competition.
Triple Helix argues that new technologies offer opportunities to improve both productivity and sustainability, but that reaching those outcomes will depend on strategic federal support aligned with research and private-sector development.
Access to the Triple Helix Institute Report
The full Catalyzing U.S. AgTech Innovation report is available on the Triple Helix Institute’s website:
https://www.triplehelix.institute/resources/agtech-federal-government-2025
