USDA Announces Regenerative Feedstock Rule Following Executive Order

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a final Regenerative Feedstock Rule following President Donald J. Trump's Executive Order advancing regenerative agriculture. According to USDA, the new rule is intended to create voluntary market opportunities for farmers by connecting regenerative agricultural practices with the biofuel supply chain.

The Regenerative Feedstock Rule establishes a framework for producers of corn, soybeans, sorghum and spring canola to participate in biofuel markets that recognize regenerative farming practices. USDA said the rule includes standards for participating crops and supply chain entities, field-level measurement of crop-specific carbon intensity, chain-of-custody requirements, auditing and verification procedures, and regenerative practice standards.

USDA said the rule creates a voluntary pathway for producers to market eligible feedstocks to participating biofuel producers. To support the program, the department is also releasing an updated USDA Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (USDA FD-CIC).

The calculator is designed to help producers quantify regenerative practices, including cover crops, improved nutrient management, conservation tillage, no-till and reduced tillage. Farmers can use the resulting reports when marketing eligible feedstocks.

According to USDA, approximately 6 billion bushels of corn are produced annually for ethanol production, with 68% of corn farmers already using at least one regenerative practice. The department also reported that approximately 1.8 billion bushels of soybeans are grown for biofuel production, and 70% of soybean farmers already implement at least one regenerative practice.

USDA said it expects the rule to expand premium market opportunities for producers as participation grows.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said the rule is intended to provide market-based incentives rather than regulatory requirements.

“Today’s USDA’s Regenerative Feedstock Rule put farmers, not Washington bureaucrats, in the driver’s seat. Instead of mandates, we’re creating market opportunities. Farmers who choose to implement regenerative practices will have new opportunities to earn premium prices, lower their input costs, improve soil health and strengthen the long-term profitability of their operations,” said Secretary Rollins. “This is exactly what President Trump’s America First agenda looks like: empowering farmers and ranchers, supporting rural communities, driving lower input costs, improving farmer profitability, advancing regenerative agriculture and helping Make America Healthy Again.”

Building on Existing USDA Programs

USDA said the new framework builds on its Regenerative Pilot Program, which provided $700 million to help farmers adopt practices intended to improve soil health, enhance water quality and support long-term productivity.

According to the department, the program has completed more than 67,000 whole-farm conservation plans covering more than 49 million acres and more than 1,500 conservation contracts valued at more than $200 million.

USDA said additional information about the Regenerative Feedstock Rule and the USDA Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator will be available on the agency's website after the rule is published in the Federal Register.