GAO urges USDA to assess climate risks of pests and diseases
The GAO recommendation directs the USDA to conduct a nationwide risk assessment and develop a management strategy for climate-related disease and pest threats.
The Government Accountability Office issued two open recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture: (1) conduct a nationwide assessment of climate-related risks posed by agricultural and forest diseases and pests, and (2) develop a strategy to manage any identified risks. The agency has not provided a written response indicating agreement or disagreement with either recommendation.
GAO found that USDA actions to enhance farm and forest resilience to climate-related disease and pest risks have been limited and that staffing and funding for key programs, such as the Climate Hubs, have declined. USDA officials told GAO in late 2023 that the risks had not been fully integrated into the department's climate-resilience planning at any level and that integration was planned for the future. In April 2026, GAO requested updated information on the status and impact of the planned cuts, but USDA did not supply the requested data.
The report notes that invasive species, including diseases and pests, have cost the U.S. agricultural and forestry sectors at least $550 billion from 1960 through 2020. The fiscal year 2024 Analytical Perspectives volume of the President's Budget estimated that climate change could add $300 million to $2.2 billion annually to federal crop-insurance payments.
GAO's analysis relied on a review of laws, regulations, agency guidance, relevant literature, interviews with 84 knowledgeable stakeholders, and site visits to eight states to observe disease and pest impacts.
A nationwide assessment would give USDA a data-driven foundation for directing resources, limiting federal fiscal exposure in crop-insurance and disaster-assistance programs, and informing congressional decision-making on capacity needs for implementing a national strategy.
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