H.R. 1604: Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025

The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025 aims to enhance the cybersecurity and resilience of the agriculture and food sectors in the United States. The bill includes several key provisions:

Risk Assessments

The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a thorough risk assessment every two years. This assessment will focus on:

• The nature and extent of cyberattacks affecting the agriculture and food sectors.
• The potential impacts of these cyber incidents on food safety, availability, public health, and the economy.
• The readiness of federal and state governments, as well as private entities, to handle such cyber threats.
• The current policies, practices, and gaps in defensive measures within the sector.
• Any recommendations for improving regulations and practices related to cybersecurity.

Report Submission

After each risk assessment, the Secretary must submit a report to several congressional committees, detailing the findings and recommendations.

Annual Simulation Exercises

The bill also mandates the Secretary to organize annual cross-sector simulation exercises over a five-year period. These exercises will involve various federal and state agencies and focus on:

• Assessing the capability to respond to food-related emergencies.
• Identifying gaps and vulnerabilities in the food supply chain.
• Enhancing coordination among stakeholders in food production and distribution.
• Evaluating existing policies and suggesting improvements for food security.

Exercise Design and Participation

Each simulation exercise must:

• Involve realistic scenarios that simulate food-related emergencies.
• Encourage participation from experts across various sectors including agriculture, public health, and cybersecurity.
• Utilize different methods such as drills and workshops to facilitate the exercise.

The Secretary will work with private sector entities, including the Food and Agriculture-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), to conduct these exercises.

Funding

The bill authorizes an appropriation of $1,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 to 2030 to support the activities specified in the bill.

Definitions

The bill defines key terms relevant to its provisions, including:

• Agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector: This encompasses all activities related to agricultural production and food processing, distribution, and consumption.
• Cybersecurity threat: Defined as risks that could compromise the security of the agriculture and food sectors.
• Sector-specific ISAC: A designated center for information sharing about cybersecurity within agriculture.

Relevant Companies

• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland Company) - As a major player in food processing and transportation, this company may be directly impacted by enhanced cybersecurity protocols.
• CARG (Cargo Holdings) - This logistics company is involved in the distribution of food products and could face implications regarding its cybersecurity measures.
• MOS (The Mosaic Company) - As a supplier of crop nutrients, Mosaic may be affected by cybersecurity regulations concerning agricultural inputs.