Department of Agriculture: Difference between revisions

{{Organization

|OrganizationName=Department of Agriculture

|Mission=The mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. USDA aims to ensure a safe, sufficient, and sustainable food supply, support rural communities, foster agricultural trade, protect natural resources, and promote good nutrition.<ref name="usdamission">U.S. Department of Agriculture. "About USDA". [https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda]</ref>

}}

 

| budget          = US$213 billion (2024)<ref name='budget'/>

The '''United States Department of Agriculture''' ('''USDA''') is an [[United States federal executive departments|executive department]] of the [[Federal government of the United States|United States federal government]] that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, protects natural resources, fosters rural communities and works to end hunger in the United States and internationally. It is headed by the secretary of agriculture, who reports directly to the [[president of the United States]] and is a member of the president's [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]].  

Approximately 71% of the USDA's $213&nbsp;billion budget goes towards nutrition assistance programs administered by the [[Food and Nutrition Service]] (FNS). The largest component of the FNS budget is the [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]] (formerly known as the 'Food Stamp' program), which is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/HISTORY%20OF%20FNS.pdf |title=History of FNS |website=usda.gov |access-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912141202/http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/HISTORY%20OF%20FNS.pdf |archive-date=2016-09-12 }}</ref> The [[United States Forest Service]] is the largest agency within the department, which administers national forests and national grasslands that together comprise about 25% of [[federal lands]].

* [[Farm Production and Conservation Business Center]]

Many of the programs concerned with the distribution of food and nutrition to people of the [[United States]] and providing nourishment as well as nutrition education to those in need are run by the [[Food and Nutrition Service]]. Activities in this program include the [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]], which provides healthy food to over 40&nbsp;million low-income and homeless people each month.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ |title=FNS Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) |date=2013-06-21 |access-date=2013-12-29}}</ref> USDA is a member of the [[United States Interagency Council on Homelessness]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usich.gov/member_agency |title=United States Interagency Council on Homelessness |website=USICH |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424055302/http://www.usich.gov/member_agency |archive-date=2012-04-24 }}</ref> where it is committed to working with other agencies to ensure these mainstream benefits have been accessed by those experiencing homelessness.

On May 15, 1862, Abraham Lincoln established the independent Department of Agriculture through the [[Morrill Land-Grant Acts|Morrill Act]] to be headed by a commissioner without [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] status. Staffed by only eight employees, the department was charged with conducting research and development related to "agriculture, [[rural development]], [[aquaculture]] and human nutrition in the most general and comprehensive sense of those terms".<ref>{{Cite web |title=7 U.S. Code § 2201 – Establishment of Department |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/7/2201 |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=LII / Legal Information Institute |language=en}}</ref> Agriculturalist [[Isaac Newton (agriculturalist)|Isaac Newton]] was appointed to be the first commissioner.<ref>12 Stat. 387, now codified at [https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/07/2201- 7 U.S.C. § 2201].</ref> Lincoln called it the "people's department", since over half of the nation, at the time, was directly or indirectly involved in [[agriculture]] or [[agribusiness]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Salvador |first1=Ricardo |last2=Bittman |first2=Mark |title=Opinion: Goodbye, U.S.D.A., Hello, Department of Food and Well-Being |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/opinion/usda-agriculture-secretary-biden.html |access-date=10 December 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=4 December 2020}}</ref>

In 1868, the department moved into the new Department of Agriculture Building in Washington, designed by famed D.C. architect Adolf Cluss. Located on the National Mall between 12th Street and 14th SW, the department had offices for its staff and the entire width of the Mall up to B Street NW to plant and experiment with plants.<ref>Evening Star – June 18, 1868 – page 4 – column 4</ref>

In the 1880s, varied advocacy groups were lobbying for Cabinet representation. Business interests sought a Department of Commerce and Industry, and farmers tried to raise the Department of Agriculture to Cabinet rank. In 1887, the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and [[United States Senate|Senate]] passed separate bills giving Cabinet status to the Department of Agriculture and Labor, but the bill was defeated in conference committee after farm interests objected to the addition of labor. Finally, in 1889 the Department of Agriculture was given cabinet-level status.<ref>25 Stat 659 (February 9, 1889)</ref>

In 1887, the [[Hatch Act of 1887|Hatch Act]] provided for the federal funding of [[agricultural experiment station]]s in each state. The [[Smith-Lever Act of 1914]] then funded [[cooperative extension service]]s in each state to teach agriculture, home economics, and other subjects to the public. With these and similar provisions, the USDA reached out to every county of every state.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Danbom |first1=David B. |title=The Agricultural Experiment Station and Professionalization: Scientists' Goals for Agriculture |journal=Agricultural History |date=1986 |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=246–255 |jstor=3743443}} </ref>

As late as the Great Depression, farm work occupied a fourth of Americans. Indeed, many young people who moved to the cities in the prosperous 1920s returned to the family farm after the depression caused unemployment after 1929. The USDA helped ensure that food continued to be produced and distributed to those who needed it, assisted with loans for small landowners, and provided technical advice. Its [[Bureau of Home Economics]], established in 1923, published shopping advice and recipes to stretch family budgets and make food go farther.<ref name="Square Meal">{{cite book |last1=Ziegelman |first1=Jane |last2=Coe |first2=Andrew |title=A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression |date=2016 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-221641-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/squaremealculina0000zieg }}</ref>

On August 27, 2018, the USDA announced it would be providing U.S. farmers with a farm aid package totaling $4.7&nbsp;billion in direct payments to American farmers. This package is meant to offset the losses farmers are expected to incur from retaliatory tariffs placed on American exports during the Trump tariffs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Agriculture Department Will Pay $4.7 Billion To Farmers Hit In Trade War |url= https://www.npr.org/2018/08/28/642525831/agriculture-dept-will-pay-4-7-billion-to-farmers-hit-in-trade-war|website=npr |access-date= 27 March 2023 }}</ref>

In October 2022, the USDA announced a $1.3 billion debt relief program for about 36,000 farmers who had fallen behind on loan payments or facing foreclosures. The provisions in the [[Inflation Reduction Act of 2022]] set aside $3.1 billion to help such farmers with high-risk operations caused by USDA-backed loans.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pitt |first=David |date=2022-10-18 |title=USDA announces $1 billion debt relief for 36,000 farmers |url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-covid-iowa-us-department-of-agriculture-a520df60c52a704ec98098d56cf2ea18 |work=Associated Press}}</ref>

* Renamed Division of Vegetable Pathology (1890–95)<ref name="BPISAE" />

 

Allegations have been made that throughout the agency's history its personnel have discriminated against farmers of various backgrounds, denying them loans and access to other programs well into the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=General Accounting Office |url=http://www.gao.gov/archive/1999/rc99038.pdf |title=USDA – Problems Continue to Hinder the Timely Processing of Discrimination Complaints |date=January 1999 |access-date=October 16, 2007 |archive-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224210610/http://www.gao.gov/archive/1999/rc99038.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The effect of this discrimination caused a reduction in the number of African American farmers in the United States.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brooks |first=Roy L. |title=Atonement and Forgiveness: A New Model for Black Reparations |year=2004 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=0-520-24813-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/atonementforgive0000broo/page/7 7–8] |url=https://archive.org/details/atonementforgive0000broo/page/7 }}</ref> Though African American farmers have been the most hit by discriminatory actions by the USDA, women, [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], Hispanics, and other minorities have experienced discrimination in a variety of forms at the hands of the USDA. The majority of these discriminatory actions have occurred through the [[Farm Service Agency]], which oversees loan and assistance programs to farmers.<ref name="heinonline">''Garcia v. Vilsack: A Policy and Legal Analysis of a USDA Discrimination Case'', ''HeinOnline'', <nowiki>https://heinonline-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/HOL/P?h=hein.crs/crsmthmatal0001&i=11</nowiki>.</ref>

As part of the 1964 [[Civil Rights Act]], the USDA formally ended racial segregation among its staff.<ref name="Johnson2011">{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Kimberley S.|date=October 2011|title=Racial Orders, Congress, and the Agricultural Welfare State, 1865–1940|journal=Studies in American Political Development|volume=25|issue=2|pages=143–161|doi=10.1017/S0898588X11000095|doi-access=free}}</ref> In the 1999 ''Pigford v. Glickman'' class-action lawsuit brought by African American farmers, the USDA agreed to a billion-dollar settlement due to its patterns of discrimination in the granting of loans and subsidies to black farmers.<ref name="Johnson2011" /> In 2011, a second round of payouts, ''Pigford II,'' was appropriated by Congress for $1.25 billion, although this payout, far too late to support the many who desperately needed financial assistance during 1999 lawsuit, only comes out to around $250,000 per farmer.<ref>{{cite news|date=3 September 2021|title=United States: Black US Farmers Awaiting Billions in Promised Debt Relief|work=Asia News Monitor|location=Bangkok|id={{ProQuest|2568289864}}}}</ref>

In their 2012 environmental justice strategy, the [[U.S. Department of Agriculture]] (USDA) stated an ongoing desire to integrate environmental justice into its core mission and operations. In 2011, [[United States Secretary of Agriculture|Secretary of Agriculture]] Tom Vilsack emphasized the USDA's focus on EJ in rural communities around the United States, as well as connecting with [[Native Americans in the United States|Indigenous Tribes]] and ensuring they understand and receive their environmental rights. USDA does fund programs with social and environmental equity goals; however, it has no staff dedicated solely to EJ.

On February 16, 1994, [[Bill Clinton|President Clinton]] issued [[Executive Order 12898]], "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations."<!-- AutoEd: rm unicode ctrl char w/no win-1252 mapping, intent unknown --> Executive Order 12898 requires that achieving EJ must be part of each federal agency's mission. Under Executive Order 12898 federal agencies must:

# ensure public participation;

# identify differential patterns of consumption of natural resources among minority and low-income populations.

On February 7, 2012, the USDA released a final Environmental Justice Strategic Plan identifying new and updated goals and performance measures beyond what USDA identified in a 1995 EJ strategy that was adopted in response to E.O. 12898.<ref name="ftn10">USDA, Strategic Plan, http://www.dm.usda.gov/hmmd/FinalUSDAEJSTRATScan_1.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226184928/http://www.dm.usda.gov/hmmd/FinalUSDAEJSTRATScan_1.pdf|date=2012-02-26}}</ref> Generally, USDA believes its existing technical and financial assistance programs provide solutions to environmental inequity, such as its initiatives on education, food deserts, and economic development in impacted communities.

USDA has had a role in implementing Michelle Obama's ''Let's Move'' campaign in tribal areas by increasing [[Bureau of Indian Education]] schools' participation in federal nutrition programs, by developing community gardens on tribal lands, and developing tribal food policy councils.<ref name="ftn38">USDA, Strategic Plan at 6.</ref>

More than $6.2 billion in [[USDA Rural Development|Rural Development]] funding has been allocated for community infrastructure in Indian country and is distributed via 47 state offices that altogether cover the entire continental [[United States]], [[Hawaii]], and [[Alaska]].<ref name="ftn68" /> Such funding has been used for a variety of reasons:

*increased access to broadband connections

*integrating electric smart-grid technologies<ref>{{cite web|title=Collaborating for Prosperity With American Indians and Alaska Natives|url=https://permanent.fdlp.gov/gpo129049/508_RD_TribalReport_2019.pdf |website=Federal Depository Library Program}}</ref>

In 1997, the [[U.S. Forest Service]] (USFS) published a resource guide aimed at helping USFS officials with developing and maintaining relations with different tribal governments. To that end, and in coordination with the Forest Service's 4*point American Indian/Alaska Native policy, the resource guide discusses how to:

The '''USDA Meat and Poultry hotline''' is a toll-free user assistance hotline for consumers to answer inquiries about the safe storage, handling, and preparation of meat, poultry, and egg products that can be reached at: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).<ref name="USDAHotline2024"/><ref>{{cite web |title=USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline |url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/usda_meat_&_Poultry_hotline/index.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040905112629/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/usda_meat_&_Poultry_hotline/index.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-09-05 |publisher=USDA |access-date=30 April 2024 |date=5 September 2004}}</ref> The Hotline also responds to other issues related to the mission of USDA's [[Food Safety and Inspection Service]](FSIS), which is to ensure that commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.<ref name="USDAHotline2024">{{cite web |title=What is the United States Department of Agriculture' Meat and Poultry Hotline? |url=https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-is-the-USDA-Meat-and-Poultry-Hotline |publisher=USA |access-date=30 April 2024 |date=Mar 22, 2024}}{{source-attribution}}</ref> The hotline operates year-round on weekdays excluding federal holidays (except Thanksgiving) from 10am to 6PM PT and is staffed by food safety specialists with backgrounds in home economics, nutrition, and food technology.<ref name="USDAMPH">{{cite web |title=USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline |url=https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/usda-meat-and-poultry-hotline |publisher=USDA |access-date=30 April 2024 |date=Oct 5, 2023}}{{source-attribution}}</ref> The hotline began on July 1, 1985, and has answered over 2 million calls to date in 2024.<ref name="USDAMPH"/> The hotline added Spanish support in 2002, and added two hours in April 2017.<ref name="USDAMPH"/><ref name="Meat2017">{{cite news |title=USDA expands ‘Meat and Poultry Hotline’ hours |url=https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/16133-usda-expands-meat-and-poultry-hotline-hours |access-date=30 April 2024 |work=Meat+Poultry |date=April 4, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> The hotline can help detect public health threats and has been attributed with increasing American's awareness of foodborne bacteria and how to avoid them.<ref>{{cite web |title=Making the Connection: Activity Report of the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline for 2000 About the Meat and Poultry Hotline |url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedirect.asp?main=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/hot2000/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041017162850/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedirect.asp?main=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/hot2000/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-10-17 |publisher=USDA FSIS |access-date=30 April 2024 |date=March 2002}}</ref><ref name="FSIS2003">{{cite web |title=USDA Hotline: A Food Safety Resource for Millions |url=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedirect.asp?main=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/news/2003/hotline_holiday.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041017163030/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Frame/FrameRedirect.asp?main=http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/news/2003/hotline_holiday.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-10-17 |website=USDA FSIS |access-date=30 April 2024 |location=Washington, DC |date=November 18, 2003}}</ref>

Part of the USDA's functions includes promoting the economic development of the agricultural sector. In their 2022 strategic plan, they pledged:<blockquote>To maintain a competitive agricultural sector, USDA will support farmers and ranchers’ ability to start and maintain profitable businesses as well as offer financial support to producers affected by natural disasters. Furthermore, USDA’s research agencies will continue to introduce high-performance plants, animals, and integrated management options that increase the efficiency of farming practices. Lastly, USDA will also provide tools to producers so that they are well-positioned to secure a share of a growing market for agricultural products.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-strategic-plan-2018-2022.pdf |title=USDA Strategic Plan FY2018-2022 |date=May 2018 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |pages=15 |language=en |chapter=Strategic Goal 2 |access-date=2024-06-07}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=A secondary, historical source would supplement this citation (or make it unnecessary)|date=July 2024}}</blockquote>The USDA formalized a relationship with the [[Global Food Safety Initiative]] (GFSI) in 2018.  GFSI is a private organization where members of the [[Consumer Goods Forum]] have control over benchmarking requirements in recognition of private standards for food safety. In August 2018, USDA achieved Technical Equivalence against Version 7.1 of the GFSI Benchmarking Requirements for their Harmonized [[Good agricultural practice|GAP]] Plus + certification programme,<ref>{{cite web |title=GFSI Announces USDA AMS GAP Plus + Certification Programme Achieves Technical Equivalence |url=https://mygfsi.com/news_updates/gfsi-announces-usda-ams-gap-plus-certification-programme-achieves-technical-equivalence/ |website=mygfsi.com/ |publisher=GFSI}}</ref> where Technical Equivalence is limited to government-owned food safety certification programmes. This is misaligned with U.S. Government Policy and [[Office of Management and Budget|OMB Circular No. A-119]]<ref>{{cite web |title=OMB Circular A-119: Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/revised_circular_a-119_as_of_1_22.pdf |website=whitehouse.gov |publisher=The White House}}</ref> which instructs its agencies to adopt voluntary consensus standards before relying upon&nbsp;industry standards (private standards) or developing government standards.

Harmonized [[Good agricultural practice|GAP]] Plus+ Standard (V. 3.0) was published in February 2021<ref>{{cite web |title=Harmonized GAP Plus+ Standard |url=https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Harmonized_GAP_Plus_Standard_Version3.pdf |website=ams.usda.gov |publisher=USDA}}</ref> with reference to GFSI Guidance Document Version 2020, Part III, ignoring reference to international standards and technical specifications ISO 22000 and ISO T/S 22002-3 Prerequisite Programmes for Farming. The [[USDA]] exception to  [[Office of Management and Budget|OMB Circular No. A-119]] might be attributed to lobbying and influence of [[Consumer Goods Forum]] members in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doering |first1=Christopher |title=Where the dollars go: Lobbying a big business for large food and beverage CPGs |url=https://www.fooddive.com/news/where-the-dollars-go-lobbying-a-big-business-for-large-food-and-beverage-c/607982/ |website=fooddive.com |publisher=Food Dive}}</ref> In November 2021, GFSI announced its Technical Equivalence was under strategic review explaining the assessment has raised concerns across many stakeholders.<ref>{{cite web |title=GFSI Launches a Strategic Review of its Technical Equivalence Programme |url=https://mygfsi.com/news_updates/gfsi-launches-a-strategic-review-of-its-technical-equivalence-programme/ |website=mygfsi.com |publisher=GFSI}}</ref>

The USDA monitors American dairy production and markets, for which it has a Dairy Board and a marketing branch known as [[Dairy Management Inc.|Dairy Management Incorporated]] (DMI).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Freeman |first=Andrea |date=December 2013 |year= |title=The Unbearable Whiteness of Milk: Food Oppression and the USDA |url=https://scholarship.law.uci.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1113&context=ucilr |journal=UC Irvine Law Review |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=1251–1279 |via=[[University of California, Irvine]]}}</ref> Furthermore, the USDA collaborates with [[United Dairy Industry Association]] (UDIA), the [[National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board]] for market information on the industry.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/2005%20-%20Dairy%20Report%20to%20Congress.pdf |title=Report to Congress on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Program and the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Program |date=2006-07-01 |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |pages=6 |language=en}}</ref>

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress allocated funding to the USDA to address the disturbances rippling through the agricultural sector. On April 17, 2020, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program:<ref>{{cite news|date=April 17, 2020|title=USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|url=https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/04/17/usda-announces-coronavirus-food-assistance-program|access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref>

* United States farm bill, history of Congressional laws on agriculture