WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) introduced the EQIP Improvement Act of 2025, legislation designed to make the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) more equitable for small farmers, prioritize federal funding for demonstrably effective conservation practices, and provide states with greater flexibility in distributing funds.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is the premier conservation program of the USDA, designed to assist farmers in adopting conservation practices on their land. This legislation reforms the program by creating financial opportunities to ensure more small farmers can get funding, lowering the federal cost-share for practices with limited environmental benefit, and eliminating an arbitrary requirement to dedicate half of all funds to livestock operations.
“Small and underserved farmers are consistently left behind when it comes to accessing vital conservation resources,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “The EQIP Improvement Act is a common-sense solution to ensure that more producers, especially those with small operations, can participate in this critical program. By redirecting funds towards the most impactful conservation practices and empowering states to make decisions that best serve their unique agricultural landscapes, we can make EQIP more effective, equitable, and truly beneficial for our environment.”
“Thousands of farmers are being turned away by USDA when they offer to share the cost of cleaner air and water,” said Geoff Horsfield, Policy Director for the Environmental Working Group, a national environmental organization. “The reforms proposed in the EQIP Improvement Act will allow more farmers to participate in EQIP when they seek USDA assistance. At a time when we need to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, we should be reforming conservation programs to help more farmers participate in programs like EQIP.”
“As an organization supporting small, diversified organic farms, CT NOFA supports the EQIP Improvement Act, introduced by Representative Hayes from our own state, to make EQIP funds more available to the huge backlog of farms that apply,” said Dr. Kim Stoner, Director of Advocacy for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of CT.
“The EQIP Improvement Act is an antidote to agricultural consolidation we so desperately need,” said Rebecca Wolf, Senior Food Policy Analyst for Food & Water Watch. “For too long, federal conservation funds have lined the pockets of big corporations. This bill would change the calculus, putting funds back where they belong — supporting projects for sustainable farmers.”
“Thousands of farmers have sought financial assistance from USDA for conservation projects, and only a fraction are accepted each year. The EQIP Improvement Act will expand access to conservation for farmers who need assistance the most while diverting money away from costly, polluting practices,” said Michael Happ, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
The EQIP Improvement Act of 2025 addresses these issues by:
- Supporting more farmers and ranchers by reducing the five-year payment cap on EQIP contracts from $450,000 to $150,000. This change frees funds to serve a greater number of farms and projects.
- Reducing support for the least effective conservation practices by decreasing the federal cost-share from 75% to 40% for certain practices like building roads, fishponds, stock ponds, dams, animal waste pits, and land clearing. This ensures more funds are available for practices that produce greater environmental benefits, such as cover cropping, no-till, crop rotations, nutrient management, and streamside buffers.
- Increasing flexibility for states by eliminating the arbitrary requirement that 50% of program funds go to livestock operators. This allows states to determine the distribution of funding that best suits their specific agricultural needs.
This legislation is vital, especially in light of proposed budget cuts to NRCS and efforts to rescind unobligated funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, which were intended to expand programs like EQIP.
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), American Sustainable Business Network, Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Food Safety, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund, Chilis on Wheels, Climate Reality Project, CT NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association of CT), Des Moines County Farmers and Neighbors for Optimal Health, Earthjustice Action, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Environmental Working Group, Family Farm Defenders, Farm Action Fund, Farm Forward, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc., Louisiana Food Policy Council, Maryland Ornithological Society, National Black Farmers Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA NJ), Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Rhode Island, Northeast Organic Farming Association/Massachusetts Chapter, Northeast Organic Farming Association-Interstate Council, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Organic Voices, Poweshiek CARES, Regenerative Agriculture Coalition, Sierra Club, The Transfarmation Project, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, Women, Food, and Agriculture Network (WFAN).
Read the full bill text here
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