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A landmark $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program, announced jointly by USDA and HHS, aims to assist American producers in adopting sustainable practices that restore soil vitality, protect water resources, sustain long-term yields, and fortify the country's agricultural supply chain.
Additionally, HHS is committing resources to study the ties between regenerative farming practices and improved public health, alongside developing educational messaging to communicate these benefits to the American people. Safeguarding and enhancing soil health remains essential, not just for sustaining productive farmland, but for ensuring the long-term prosperity of U.S. farmers.
Ongoing conversations between USDA and HHS have explored ways to incentivize conventional growers to embrace soil-health regenerative practices. True incentives succeed when they reward verifiable results, a philosophy central to the new Regenerative Pilot Program, marking a bold departure from outdated conservation models.
What sets this new Regenerative Pilot Program apart from previous efforts is a series of innovative and farmer-focused features. For the first time, it explicitly embraces the term “Regenerative Agriculture”, signaling a clear commitment to this holistic approach.
Farmers benefit from a single, streamlined application process rather than navigating fragmented enrollments across multiple programs. The initiative allows conservation practices to be bundled under a comprehensive whole-farm plan, supports multi-year transitions instead of short-term trials, and requires baseline soil testing to track progress accurately.
It also reflects meaningful cross-agency coordination, particularly between USDA and HHS, moving beyond siloed conservation efforts. Most importantly, continued funding is contingent on demonstrated improvements in soil health and other outcomes, ensuring incentives reward real, measurable results.
The new Regenerative Pilot Program creates fresh opportunities for USDA to utilize existing authorities in forging public-private partnerships through Natural Resources Conservation Service programs. By enabling the agency to match contributions from private-sector partners, these collaborations will maximize the impact of taxpayer dollars, extend additional resources and support to farmers, and accelerate the adoption of regenerative practices across American agriculture.
As we age, it becomes harder to lose body fat without also losing valuable muscle. A new study suggests one type of exercise may offer the best of both worlds. Researchers found that while all forms of exercise helped healthy older adults reduce body fat, only high-intensity interval training (HIIT) preserved lean muscle mass.
We know that obesity can raise the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other health conditions. And, for years, BMI has been one of the most common ways to assess weight-related health risks. But for older adults, BMI may not provide the full picture. In a new study, an increased waist size was associated with an increased risk of premature death among adults 65 and older.Waist size is a simple way to estimate the amount of visceral fat a person may have.
Millions of people around the world start their day with a cup of coffee. In 2021 alone, approximately 10 billion tons of coffee were consumed globally. With consumption at such a high level, researchers are taking a closer look at how these beverages may affect health. A recent study suggests that how much coffee you drink may influence its benefits, adding to evidence that coffee may have several positive effects on eye health.