Agricultural Diseases And Pests: Nationwide Assessment and Strategy Needed to Enhance the Climate Resilience of Farms and Forests
Fast Facts
Farms and forests face new risks from diseases and pests as the climate changes. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shared information with farmers and land managers on the climate-related risks of specific diseases and pests, it has never incorporated these risks into its climate resilience planning.
Implementing a national strategy to enhance farms and forests' resilience to climate-related disease and pest risks could help limit damage to crops and trees. It could also reduce federal payouts through the crop insurance program or disaster assistance funds.
We recommended USDA assess these risks and develop a national strategy.
Swarm of Spotted Lanternflies—Invasive Pests—on a Grapevine
Dozens of grape-sized spotted flies with moth-like wings cover a grapevine that also has bunches of grapes on it
Highlights
What GAO Found
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken few actions to enhance the resilience of farms and forests to the climate-related risks of diseases and pests, and funding and staffing supporting those actions have decreased.In late 2023, USDA officials told GAO that the risks of diseases and pests had not been fully integrated into the department’s climate resilience planning at all levels and that USDA planned to do so in the future. At that time, USDA provided limited information and technical assistance on individual diseases and pests to farmers and land managers. For example, USDA’s Climate Hubs provided some support for research on the effects of climate change on specific diseases and pests and developed models for forecasting potential outbreak risks, including the southern pine beetle. However, key programs that provide information and assistance to farmers and land managers to help manage the climate-related risks of diseases and pests—such as USDA’s Climate Hubs—have lost staff and face planned funding cuts. In April 2026, GAO requested updated information from USDA about the status and impact of these cuts, but the department did not provide the information.
Examples of Climate-Related Risks of Diseases and Pests
Development and implementation of a national strategy would help USDA enhance the resilience of farms and forests to the climate-related risks of diseases and pests, according to GAO’s analysis of relevant literature and interviews with knowledgeable stakeholders. A nationwide assessment to identify and assess these climate-related risks is a necessary first step to developing a national strategy to enhance resilience to diseases and pests. A national strategy, informed by a nationwide risk assessment, could help USDA direct its resources effectively to ensure that farmers and land managers get the information they need to enhance their resilience. It could also help limit federal fiscal exposure to climate-related risks to the federal crop insurance program and other disaster assistance appropriations. Further, a national strategy could inform congressional decision-making by identifying USDA’s capacity needs to ensure the strategy is implemented effectively.
Why GAO Did This Study
Diseases and pests have large economic impacts on U.S. natural resources—including agricultural lands and forests. From 1960 through 2020, invasive species, including diseases and pests, cost the U.S. agricultural and forestry sectors at least $550 billion.
According to experts, climate change will expand or shift the range of diseases and pests. This creates fiscal exposure—long-term costs and uncertainty regarding future spending—for federal crop insurance and disaster assistance programs. For example, the fiscal year 2024 Analytical Perspectives volume of the President’s Budget—the most recent analysis of the federal crop insurance program’s fiscal exposure to climate change—estimated the federal government could spend an additional $300 million to $2.2 billion annually on crop insurance payments because of changes in the climate.
GAO was asked to review federal efforts to enhance the resilience of farms and forests to climate-related risks of diseases and pests. This report examines (1) USDA’s efforts in this area and (2) options to enhance them.
GAO reviewed laws, regulations, and agency guidance related to diseases and pests; analyzed literature; interviewed 84 knowledgeable stakeholders including USDA, state, and local officials and academic researchers; and conducted site visits to eight states to observe the impacts of selected diseases and pests.
Recommendations
GAO is recommending that USDA (1) conduct a nationwide assessment of the climate-related risks of agricultural and forest diseases and pests and (2) develop a strategy to manage identified risks. USDA did not provide a written response that either agreed or disagreed with the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should, in consultation with stakeholders across the agricultural and land management communities, leverage and build upon related departmental actions to conduct a nationwide risk assessment of the climate-related risks of agricultural and forest diseases and pests. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should, in consultation with stakeholders across the agricultural and land management communities, develop a strategy to manage any identified climate-related risks of agricultural and forest diseases and pests identified in the nationwide risk assessment. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|