Environment Subcommittee - Innovations in Agrichemicals: AI’s Hidden Formula Driving Efficiency

Energy and Environment

2025-05-20

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This hearing focused on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in agrochemicals, exploring how it can enhance efficiency across various aspects of agriculture [ 00:11:18 ] . Discussions highlighted AI's role in research, development, testing, production, compliance, safety reviews, and applications within the agricultural sector [ 00:13:44 ]

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. Experts emphasized the need to leverage AI to address challenges like pest management, crop health, and food security [ 00:14:13 ]

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Themes

AI's Role in Agrochemical Discovery and Efficiency

AI is revolutionizing agrochemical discovery by enabling more precise targeting of pests and optimizing manufacturing processes . It allows for the prediction of protein structures, the identification of new molecules, and the improvement of production methods, ultimately leading to increased yields and enhanced sustainability . AI also aids farmers in optimizing product application based on environmental conditions and pest pressures, such as timing fungicide treatments . A key benefit is the ability to achieve specificity in agrochemical action, minimizing unintended impacts on the environment and biodiversity . Furthermore, AI is proving particularly effective in exploring complex natural compounds, which face fewer regulatory hurdles compared to synthetics .

Challenges and Importance of Data & Funding for AI in Agriculture

The effectiveness of AI systems is fundamentally dependent on long-term, high-quality data . Several members expressed concerns about proposed budget cuts to federal scientific agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) . These cuts threaten to undermine critical data sets, research initiatives, and the development of a skilled workforce, all of which are vital for agricultural innovation . Federal funding and academic research play a crucial role in supporting the basic science that forms the foundation of AI models and addresses fundamental questions often beyond the scope of the private sector . Public-private partnerships and investments in academic institutions are seen as essential for promoting data sharing and fostering innovation .

Regulatory Hurdles and Public Health Concerns

The current regulatory process for agrochemicals was identified as prolonged and expensive, creating significant barriers to bringing novel solutions to market . There is a clear need to streamline the approval process without compromising safety or scientific rigor . Concerns were raised regarding potential public health risks associated with widespread chemical use and chronic pesticide exposure [ 00:20:08 ]

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. AI offers a promising avenue to mitigate these risks by enabling more precise targeting of pests and reducing the overall volume of chemicals used [ 00:20:57 ]

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. The importance of having reliable data to assess health risks and inform regulatory decisions was also strongly emphasized .

Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability

AI is positioned as a critical tool for enhancing agricultural productivity on limited farmland, especially in the face of growing global populations and evolving weather patterns . Examples include AI-driven targeted fungicide applications, which reduce chemical waste and significantly improve crop yields . AI empowers farmers to make more informed decisions, cut input costs, and manage diseases with greater precision, leading to reduced environmental impact . The potential for yield improvements through AI-led agricultural practices is considered substantial, with estimates suggesting that corn yields could triple and soybean output could double .

Tone of the Meeting

The overall tone of the meeting was optimistic regarding AI's potential to revolutionize agriculture [ 00:13:25 ]

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. However, this optimism was tempered by an underlying concern about proposed federal funding cuts and existing regulatory hurdles that could impede innovation . Speakers emphasized the critical need for sustained investment in basic scientific research and a balanced regulatory approach to maintain American leadership in agricultural AI . Witnesses expressed confidence in AI's transformative power, while acknowledging challenges such as data reliability and the responsible application of these technologies .

Participants

Transcript

The subcommittee on the environment will come to order.  Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recesses of the subcommittee at any time.  Welcome to today's hearing entitled Innovations in Agrochemicals, AI's Hidden Formula for Driving Efficiency.  And I recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement.  And first, as I've mentioned to our witnesses, I apologize for the delay in getting started this morning.  We had a little change in agenda.   that we weren't anticipating.  It took us a little longer.  So my colleagues will be filtering in here.  Hopefully they won't miss much of the opening testimony, but we will go ahead and get rolling with it.  So with that, good morning.  Thank you to our witnesses for being with us today.  This morning's hearing topic   on agricultural innovations is very important to me as my home district is home to over 200 specialty crops, including most of Florida's citrus operations and many other different diversified agriculture interests.  I represent what we think is probably the largest agricultural district east of the Mississippi, which is a surprise to a lot of people who aren't from Florida and think everyone either lives at Disney World or at the beach, but we actually have a lot of agriculture interest in Florida.  We...   We absolutely require safe and effective access to agrochemicals like pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, which are essential to keeping our crops healthy and productive.  Today we're discussing the current and emerging AI-driven scientific and technological advancements in agrochemicals.  We will explore how artificial intelligence,   is transforming the industry by enhancing key functions such as research and development, testing, production, compliance, safety, reviews, and applications.  In fiscal year 24, I was able to secure $4.5 million in federal funding for the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of Florida's Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.  It's a mouthful, but it's our AI Center for Agriculture associated with University of Florida.   That center will serve as a hub for statewide agricultural and AI initiatives and demonstrations with a strong focus on pest management.
And in my district, citrus greening has devastated growers and weakened the backbone of Florida's agriculture economy.  The research conducted by the Institute and other academic partners like the ones represented here today are critical to our discussion.   These efforts are not only advancing pest management, but also lead to the breakthroughs that we need in agricultural technology to finally cure the disease that's killing Florida citrus.  Additionally, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin recently announced much needed changes to address the backlog of over 504 new chemical reviews and 12,000 pesticide reviews that are well past the expected timelines under the federal   Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, FIFRA, and statutory timelines under the Toxic Control Substance Act, TSCA.  As a part of Administrator Zeldin's powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, advancing American leadership in artificial intelligence is a central pillar with a focus on supporting AI development through clean energy to position the United States as a global leader in AI.   I believe this hearing will demonstrate what's possible with AI in agricultural review space and inform policy making as the EPA continues to develop its AI plan.  I'm eager to hear each witness's testimony and look forward to working with committee members to ensure the United States remains a global leader in AI driven scientific and technological agricultural advancements.  I now recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee for his opening statement.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening today's hearing on innovations in agrochemicals.  And thank you to our witnesses for sharing your insights.  Now, Rhode Island may not be the first state that comes to mind when people think of agriculture, but we're home to innovative aquaculture and many small farms and producers, including   Wright's Dairy Farm in North Smithfield, and Phantom Farms in Cumberland, Rhode Island.  Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District is also home to research institutions, scientists, and innovators working on the front lines of resiliency and sustainability.  And in a state with a long coastline, finding solutions to the climate crisis is crucial to preventing long-term damage from sea level rise.   Agrochemical innovation to reduce the harmful climate impacts of farming through artificial intelligence, data modeling, and chemical safety is important and matters to us.  AI systems depend on a foundation of long-term, high-quality data.  For the agrochemical sector to operate safely and effectively, models must account for shifting climate and weather patterns.   That foundation is under attack as we speak.  The Trump-Musk administration has crippled the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's data infrastructure and hollowed out its scientific workforce.  Dozens of important data sets, reports, and services have been thrown out the window over the past several weeks due to what I believe to be reckless actions, actions that will be problematic and cause irreparable harm.   Without accurate and transparent forecasting and climate modeling, farmers cannot react and plan ahead.  So let's be clear, no algorithm is better than the data that it runs on.  And if we let politics dismantle the very systems that provide the data farmers use to determine when to plant, water, apply pesticides, and harvest,
We're setting ourselves up for failure, and that's across sectors, that's across states, that's across our entire country.  We must also remember that innovation often begins with research.  At public universities, funded by federal dollars, but these investments are being systematically eroded by the Trump administration.

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