Palantir expands US government footprint with $300 million USDA deal for food security

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and software firm Palantir announced Wednesday the signing of a $300 million Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA).

The announcement stated that the agreement is intended to support the National Farm Safety Action Plan (NFSAP) while modernizing the manner in which the USDA delivers services to American farmers.

Palantir confirmed it will provide operational software to enable the USDA to improve services provided to both farmers and the department’s field personnel.

The BPA will build upon Palantir’s existing work with the USDA’s “Landmark” platform and will support the “One Farmer, One File” initiative.

According to the statement, Landmark has allowed the USDA to transform how farmers report land acreage through the use of self-service digital tools.

“Protecting America’s agricultural lands is protecting America, and this work provides the USDA with the visibility and speed required to secure our food supply,” said Sam Berry, the USDA’s Chief Information Officer.

The deal highlights Palantir’s expanding role within the US government, moving beyond the core defense contracts that support the modernization of the US military.

American farmers are currently contending with rising supply costs and the tightening effects of ongoing trade disputes between the US and its major trading partners.

This environment includes China, a major buyer of soybeans, which late last year saw market activity temporarily paralyzed.

In December, President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion bailout package aimed at assisting farmers affected by the trade war.

However, rising gasoline prices triggered by the conflict in Iran have added further pressure, leading to increased fertilizer costs due to transportation disruptions.

This situation has forced many farmers to reconsider their crop choices, placing supply chains at risk.

China’s acquisition of US agricultural land in recent years has also drawn the attention of Washington and foreign policy experts.

A recent research note published by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) recommended that the USDA restructure reporting requirements under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). The recommendation aimed to prevent “China and other adversarial nations from exploiting commercial land transactions to gain a strategic advantage over the United States.”

The USDA’s contract with Palantir signals an intention to address these issues by leveraging the company’s digital tools.

Palantir was founded in 2003 following the September 11 attacks to bolster US defense capabilities. CEO Alex Karp has long emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting US service members.

The company has recently gained prominence for its AI-powered Maven Smart System platform, which has been utilized by the US military in Iran.

“The fact that you can now target with more precision… has changed the way war is conducted,” Karp told CNBC at AIPCon in March.

Over the years, Palantir has faced sharp criticism for its work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security. These criticisms include reports that the company’s tools have been used by the government to surveil Americans, allegations which the company has denied.