The American Agricultural Security Research Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance agricultural research and food system protection in the United States. It amends existing law to require the Secretary of Agriculture to recognize at least one center of excellence for each of several critical focus areas, such as aquaculture, beginning farmers and ranchers, biosecurity and cybersecurity, digital agriculture, food quality, and foreign animal diseases. These centers will conduct vital research, extension, and education programs.

Host institutions for these centers include various land-grant universities and veterinary colleges, with an emphasis on geographic diversity. These institutions are tasked with partnering with federal agencies, industry groups, and other entities to reduce duplication, leverage resources, implement training, and foster workforce development. Each center will operate for a five-year term, renewable once, and funds are specifically prohibited from being used for new building construction.

The bill also modifies existing provisions for additional centers of excellence, expanding their number and focus areas to include forest health and conservation, and food safety, bioprocessing, and value-added agriculture. An annual report to Congress will detail the projects, funding, and technology transfer activities of all recognized centers. For the new centers, $10,000,000 is authorized for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Furthermore, the Act establishes an Agriculture and Food Protection Grant Program, awarding competitive grants to eligible entities. This program's purpose is to support research, extension, and education activities that improve the nation's capability to protect its food and agricultural system from chemical, biological, cybersecurity, or bioterrorism attacks, as well as other global catastrophic threats. Funds can be used for research on agricultural countermeasures, expanding teaching programs in biosecurity, upgrading facilities, and acquiring equipment.

Eligible entities for these grants include state agricultural experiment stations, colleges, universities, research institutions, and federal agencies. This grant program is also authorized for appropriations of $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, reinforcing the commitment to a secure and resilient agricultural future.