What pilot project as part of the 2018 Farm Bill is intended to overcome long-term and high-risk research challenges in agriculture that industry is unlikely to undertake because of technological or financial uncertainty?

• A. Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA)
• B. National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program
• C. NAVVCB
• D. NAHLN

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is a DARPA-style approach to agricultural research: a federal funding mechanism designed to tackle long-term, high-risk projects that private industry is unlikely to pursue because of uncertain returns or extended timelines. The 2018 Farm Bill authorized an Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority to bridge the gap between basic discovery and practical deployment, supporting transformative ideas that could reshape agriculture but require substantial risk tolerance and investment. The other programs focus on disease preparedness, surveillance, and laboratory networks rather than providing a dedicated, high-risk, long-horizon R&D funding path, so they don’t fit the described pilot project.