This bill expands U.S.-Israel agricultural cooperation through two main programs. First, it increases funding for the BARD Fund, a joint U.S.-Israel agricultural research program established in 1977 that has supported over 1,300 research projects and generated significant economic returns. The bill authorizes $8 million annually from 2025 through 2029 for BARD activities and broadens the fund to include collaborative research with countries that have signed the Abraham Accords. Second, the bill establishes a new grant program administered by the Department of Agriculture to support field-based agricultural projects in developing countries, particularly in Africa, that partner with Israeli institutions to improve local food production and create sustainable food systems. This agricultural development program receives $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029, with requirements that locally-procured food aid not disrupt local markets or world prices and that organizations receiving funds provide annual reporting to Congress on project impacts.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.