United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Committee information

• Date created: December 9, 1825
• Members: Twenty-three members in the 119th Congress (2025–2027)
• Subcommittees: Commodities, Risk Management and Trade; Rural Development and Energy; Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources; Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research; Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security

Role

The United States House Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is a legislative committee presided over by members of the US Senate. The committee oversees all affairs dealing with the country’s agriculture industry and programs related to farming. It also oversees forestry and logging activities as well as any lawmaking concerning nutrition and health. Since 1825, the committee has established, supervised, and assessed the agricultural policies of the United States and other areas abroad. Its role is widespread, and its policies relate to a variety of areas, such as food safety, soil conservation, research, trade, economics, and nutrition.

The committee’s jurisdiction derives from Rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. Under this rule, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry manages legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects:

• Research and economics related to agriculture
• Extension services and experiment stations related to agriculture
• Production, marketing, and price stabilization related to agriculture
• Any commodities related to agriculture
• Animal industry and animal diseases
• Insurance on crops and conservation of soil
• Credit and security for farms
• Freshwater foodstuffs
• Food stamp programs throughout the nation
• All forestry initiatives, including forest reserves and wilderness areas not created from the public domain
• Home economics
• Human nutrition
• Livestock, meat, and agricultural product inspection
• Pests and pesticides
• Plant soils and industry as well as agricultural engineering
• Rural development and electrification, watersheds
• Nutrition programs for schools

The committee routinely studies and reviews information concerning rural affairs as well as food, nutrition, and hunger in other countries around the world. It is expected to regularly report on these matters alongside those listed above. The US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry holds three types of hearings to assess policy: legislative hearings, oversight hearings, and confirmation hearings. These hearings are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

The committee consisted of twenty-three members during the 119th US Congress, which was scheduled to meet between January 3, 2025, and January 3, 2027. Thirteen of the committee members were from the majority Republican Party, while ten of these members were from the minority Democratic Party. The party affiliation of a committee is determined by whatever party has the most members in the Senate. This is referred to as the majority party. The party with fewer members in the Senate is called the minority party. The committee chair is a member of the majority party, while a member of the minority party is appointed the ranking member. The chairman of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry during the 119th Congress was Republican Senator John Boozman of Arkansas. The ranking member was Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

During the 119th Congress, the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry was one of sixteen standing committees within the US Senate. Standing committees are also known as permanent committees and possess the authority to review and recommend bills to the Senate for a vote on a permanent basis. The Senate can also create select and special committees for any matters that fall outside a standing committee’s jurisdiction. Unlike standing committees, select and special committees are formed through mandates that expire and, therefore, must be renewed periodically. When Congress finds that a select or special committee may be useful on a long-term basis, the committee can be given standing committee status.

The US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry contains five specialized subcommittees. All House and Senate committees are comprised of several subcommittees. Subcommittees are responsible for analyzing specific matters related to the larger committee and must report back to the full committee. During the 119th Congress, the House and Senate committees contained more than two hundred subcommittees. While House committees are limited to only five subcommittees, Senate committees do not limit the number of subcommittees each committee may create. Some House committees are allowed more than the permitted number due to the scope of the committee’s activities. Examples of House committees with more than five subcommittees include the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.

History

Agriculture played an important role in the growth of American colonies throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With American independence from Europe and the establishment of a democratic government in the late 1700s, lawmakers knew agricultural policy was integral to the continued success of the United States. Agriculture was a major facet of the commerce and trade industries, and its operations had a central role in the American economy. Originally, the Committee on Commerce and Manufacturers oversaw the agricultural sector, but this committee was later split into two separate committees due to tariff disagreements and conflicts of interest.

In 1825, Senator William Findlay of Pennsylvania submitted a resolution calling for the establishment of a standing committee on agriculture. Findlay acknowledged that agriculture was just as important to the US economy as commerce and manufacturing and believed oversight was necessary to ensure the sector’s continued success. He also noted that many agricultural concerns were distinct from the area of commerce and, therefore, were worthy of a dedicated committee. The resolution to create a Committee on Agriculture was approved by the Senate by a vote of 22-14 on December 9, 1825.

During its first few decades, many legislators questioned the need for a Committee on Agriculture. A majority of Americans participated in agricultural activities during this time, and these activities commonly intersected with other areas of the economy managed by different committees. During its early years, the Committee on Agriculture was often overlooked in regard to agricultural matters as these concerns were submitted to other committees. In 1857, a number of hearings were held to consider the need for certain committees in Congress. Congress hoped to increase efficiency by eliminating committees it deemed unnecessary. The Senate eventually recommended the dissolution of the Committee on Agriculture. The recommendation was approved on March 5, 1857.

Over the next few years, several events led to the reestablishment of the Committee on Agriculture in 1863. The American Civil War broke out in 1861, and this led to an expanding wartime government. An influx of immigrants was also arriving in the United States. Although many immigrants settled in rural areas, even more settled in the major cities, leading to an increase in urban living and placing a greater demand on industry. As a result, President Abraham Lincoln passed a series of acts in 1862 to boost American industry. One of these acts was the Organic Act, which established the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Lincoln also passed the Homestead Act, which allowed citizens to purchase tracts of unsettled land outside urban areas for low prices. This led to the growth of family farms across the nation. The final act, the Morrill Land Grant College Act, called for the creation of colleges that focused on agriculture and engineering. Proponents of this act hoped such colleges would improve farming methods and advance the science of agriculture. Congress realized all this new activity would need oversight and reestablished the Agriculture Committee in 1863.

Over the next two centuries, the committee worked to bolster and protect the US agricultural industry, later expanding its oversight to other related areas. In 1884, the committee was renamed the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to include the oversight of the usage and conservation of American forests. In 1977, the committee was once again renamed as the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry as the USDA expanded its activities to research human nutrition and provide education about nutrition to the public. Over the course of its history, the committee helped organize research and teaching techniques related to agriculture throughout the late nineteenth century. It also helped establish important price and income support controls for the agricultural and farming industries throughout the 1930s. The committee even had a hand in formative international trade legislation during the 1990s.

Subcommittees

In the 119th Congress, the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry comprised five subcommittees, each of which examined specific matters. The Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee’s five subcommittees included the Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade; the Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources; the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research; the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security; the Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy. Each subcommittee has its own chair and ranking member as dictated by the majority and minority parties in Congress.

Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade

This subcommittee is responsible for legislation related to agricultural commodities, or products. This includes a number of agricultural crops such as rice, tobacco, sugar, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and feed grains. It also deals with dairy products. In regard to markets and trade, the subcommittee has jurisdiction over legislation related to farm price and income support programs.

Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy

This subcommittee's jurisdiction covers legislation related to the renewable energy sector as well as programs designed to improve energy efficiency in rural communities and on large-scale farms throughout the country. The subcommittee also oversees food and agricultural research, economics, and formal and non-formal education. It examines how agricultural commodities and materials can be innovated for extended use.

Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources

This subcommittee oversees rural development and rural electrification legislation, as well as all related activities. It plays a large role in agricultural credit, or credit designed for agricultural development. It oversees several agricultural credit programs and organizations, including the Farm Credit System, Farm Credit Administration, Farmers Service Agency, and USDA Office of Rural Development. Its jurisdiction also covers crop insurance, soil conservation, stream channelization, certain watershed and flood control programs, and forestry operations.

Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research

This subcommittee is responsible for a number of nutrition-related federal activities. It has jurisdiction over all nutrition and food assistance programs as well as hunger prevention initiatives. It also oversees school and youth nutrition programs and local initiatives designed to educate people on healthy food choices. In terms of agricultural buying and selling, the subcommittee oversees the industry’s future contracts, options, and derivatives. It also regulates pesticide usage in agriculture.

Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security

This subcommittee oversees legislation related to foreign agricultural trade and market development. It has jurisdiction over international agricultural commodity agreements and exports as well as foreign assistance programs, such as Food for Peace. Domestically, it manages product promotion and marketing programs related to agriculture. It also handles the inspection and certification processes for a number of commodities, including meat, vegetables, livestock, fruit, and flowers.

Bibliography

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“Chapter 1: The Committee Is Created: 1825-1857.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, 31 Dec. 1998, www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CDOC-105sdoc24/html/ch1.html. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“Chapter 2: The Committee Is Reconstituted: 1862-1900.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, 31 Dec. 1998, www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CDOC-105sdoc24/html/ch2.html. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“Committees of the U.S. Congress.” United States Congress, www.congress.gov/committees. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Heitshusen, Valerie. “Committee Types and Roles.” Congressional Research Service, 2 May 2017, crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RS/98-241. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“History.” United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, www.agriculture.senate.gov/about/history. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“Introduction by Senator Richard G. Lugar, Chairman, and Senator Tom Harkin, Ranking Member Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, 31 Dec. 1998, www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CDOC-105sdoc24/html/introdu.html. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“Jurisdiction.” United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, www.agriculture.senate.gov/about/jurisdiction. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“Subcommittees.” United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, www.agriculture.senate.gov/about/subcommittees. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

“The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 1825-1998.” U.S. Government Publishing Office, 31 Dec. 1998, www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GPO-CDOC-105sdoc24/context. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.