In a quietly pivotal move, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has rescinded a 1990s-era federal rule requiring farmers to keep records of restricted pesticide use. Announced on May 12, 2025, this rollback might sound like bureaucratic housekeeping – the program was defunded back in 2012 – but its ripple effects could be profound. With the stroke of a pen, Washington has effectively bowed out of pesticide recordkeeping oversight, leaving a regulatory vacuum in its place. And as any entrepreneur knows, a vacuum begs to be filled.
For AgTech startups and investors, deregulation is an invitation to innovate.
