THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Division on Earth and Life Studies
Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Committee on Strategies to Enhance Pediatric Health Research Funded by NIH
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Congressional Briefing
Thursday, February 12, 2026 – 1:00 p.m.
via Zoom
on
PFAS in Agricultural Systems:
Guidance for Conservation Programs at USDA
This new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides an initial framework to guide United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that deal directly with conservation on the land. The committee examined how Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) move through agricultural landscapes, the scientific uncertainties involved, and the specific opportunities and constraints facing USDA's voluntary, nonregulatory conservation programs. Rather than offering prescriptive rules, the report is intentionally focused and practical, aimed at informing conservation planning and practice implementation.
Furthermore, the report highlights the challenge the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) faces to deliver conservation solutions to producers and help them avoid or mitigate PFAS impacts despite limited data, incomplete toxicological understanding, and a lack of cost-effective mitigation or remediation technologies. The report suggests a framework built on the three phases of NRCS's conservation planning process and provides conclusions on opportunities regarding research, available data, and conservation practices and programs to address the impacts of PFAS on contaminated agricultural land.
This briefing was for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on February 13, 2026 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.