Portal:Department of Agriculture

Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the 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. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who has served since February 24, 2021.

Approximately 71% of the USDA's $213 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. 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.

Section 3

Department of Agriculture Organization

See agencies and mission areas for more details.

• Secretary of Agriculture
  • Staff
    • Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    • Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations
    • Assistant Secretary for Administration
  • Offices
    • Inspector General (Department of Agriculture) - https://usdaoig.oversight.gov
    • General Counsel (Department of Agriculture) - https://www.usda.gov/ogc
    • Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of the Chief Economist (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of the Executive Secretariat (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of Budget and Program Analysis (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of Communications (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of Tribal Relations (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of Hearings and Appeals (Department of Agriculture)
    • Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)
  • Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
    • Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation
      • Farm Production and Conservation Business Center - https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov
      • Farm Service Agency
      • Risk Management Agency
      • Natural Resources Conservation Service
    • Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services
      • Food and Nutrition Service
    • Under Secretary for Food Safety
      • Food Safety and Inspection Service
    • Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
      • Agricultural Marketing Service
      • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
    • Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment
      • Forest Service
    • Under Secretary for Rural Development
      • Rural Housing Service
      • Rural Utilities Service
      • Rural Business Cooperative Service
    • Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics
      • Office of the Chief Scientist - https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/staff-offices/office-chief-scientist-ocs
      • Agricultural Research Service
      • National Agricultural Statistical Service
      • National Institute of Food and Agriculture
      • Economic Research Service
    • Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
      • Foreign Agricultural Service
      • U.S. Codex Office - https://www.usda.gov/codex

Section 1

The USDA is divided into eight distinct mission areas, each of which have at least one agency dedicated to the theme of the mission area:

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC)

• FPAC Business Center
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• Risk Management Agency (RMA)
• Farm Service Agency (FSA)

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS)

• Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

Food Safety (FS)

• Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP)

• Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE)

• Forest Service (FS)

Research, Education, and Economics (REE)

• National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
• National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
• Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
• Economic Research Service (ERS)

Rural Development (RD)

• Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
• Rural Housing Service (RHS)
• Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS)

Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs (TFAA)

• Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

Section 2

Programs and initiative

• Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA)
• Butter-Powder Tilt
• Congressional seed distribution
• Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
• Combined Federal Campaign
• Feds Feed Families
• National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative
• USDA CARES Partner Portal
• Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison (MVAL)
• Veterans Employment Program Office (VEPO)
• Military Spouse Program (MSP)
• Cooperative Extension
• FSA county committees
• Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) & Price Loss Coverage (PLC)
• Certified Mediation Program (CMP)
• Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
• Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP)
• Dairy Margin Coverage Program (DMC)
• Disaster Set-Aside Program (DSA)
• Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP)
• Emergency Conversation Program (ECP)
• Emergency Farm Loans
• Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)
• Emergency Relief Program (ERP)
• Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Grant Program
• Farm Operating Loans
• Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program
• Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP)
• Graze-Out
• Highly Fractionated Indian Land Loan Program (HFIL)
• Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program
• Institute of Child Nutrition
• Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)
• Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
• Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP)
• Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL)
• USDA Meat and Poultry hotline
• Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)
• Operating Microloan
• Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
• Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP 2024)
• Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP)
• Tree Assistance Program
• Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
• Water-Saving Commodities (WSC) Program
• Climate-Smart Agriculture and Farm Loan Programs
• Meat and Poultry Supply Chain
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• World Food Program
• USDA home loan

Partnerships

• Women in Agriculture National Learning Network (WIA LN)
• International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF)

Boards

• American Egg Board
• American Lamb Board
• American Pecan Promotion Board
• Cattlemen's Beef Board
• Christmas Tree Promotion Board
• Cotton Board
• Fluid Milk Processors Promotion Program
• Hass Avocado Board
• U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
• Mushroom Council
• National Dairy Promotion & Research Board
• National Honey Board
• National Mango Board
• National Peanut Board
• National Pork Board
• National Potato Promotion Board
• National Watermelon Promotion Board
• Paper & Packaging Board
• Popcorn Board
• Softwood Lumber Board
• United Sorghum Checkoff Program
• United Soybean Board

Advisory Committees

https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/staff-offices/office-executive-secretariat-oes/advisory-committees

USDA Departmental Management

• Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
• Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers
• Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services

• Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade
• Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animal and Animal Products
• Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables
• Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grain, Feed, and Oilseeds
• Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Processed Food
• Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Sweeteners
• Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

• National Advisory Council on Maternal, Infant, and Fetal Nutrition
• Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Food Safety

• Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection
• National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

• Grain Inspection Advisory Committee
• Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee
• National Organic Standards Board
• Plant Variety Protection Advisory Board
• General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan
• National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee

Natural Resources and Environment

• Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board
• Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Advisory Committee
• Collaborative Forest Restoration Program Technical Advisory Panel
• Forest Resource Coordinating Committee
• Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory Committee
• Land Between the Lakes Advisory Board
• National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council
• Opal Creek Scenic Recreation Area Advisory Council
• Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality Research
• Secure Rural School Resource Advisory Committees

Research, Education and Economics

• Advisory Committee on Agricultural Statistics
• Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture
• Forestry Research Advisory Council
• National Genetic Resources Advisory Council
• National Research, Education, and Economics Advisory Board

Partner Committees at Other Agencies

• Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANS)
• Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee
• Food Advisory Committee
• Invasive Species Advisory Committee
• National Wild Horse and Burro Program
• National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program Federal Advisory Committee
• National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
• The Good Neighbor Environmental Board
• Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee
• Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee
• US Commodity Futures Trading Commission Agricultural Committee
• US Trade Representative's Office of Agricultural Affairs
• Wildland Fire Executive Committee

Office of the Secretary

• Council on Native American Farming and Ranching

More USDA Boards and Committees

• AMS Research and Promotion Boards
• APHIS Specialty Crops Farm Bill Alliance
• ARS Peer Review Panels
• Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors
• Farm Service Agency County Committees
• NIFA Grantmaking Peer Review Panels

Section 20

Political appointee position at the DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

• AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE
• AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
• ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION - BUSINESS CENTER
• Farm Service Agency
• FIELD UNITS
• FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE
• FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE
• FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
• FOREST SERVICE
• INTERNATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM
• NATIONAL FINANCE CENTER
• NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM
• NATIONAL INSTITUE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
• NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE
• OFFICE OF BUDGET AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS
• OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS
• OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
• OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
• OFFICE OF PARTNERSHIPS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
• OFFICE OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION
• OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION
• OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS
• OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIST
• OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
• OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
• OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY SECRETARY
• OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
• OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR FOOD SAFETY
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR FOOD, NUTRITION AND CONSUMER SERVICES
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR MARKETING AND REGULATORY PROGRAMS
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT
• OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS
• OFFICE OF UNDER SECRETARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
• PLANT PROTECTION AND QUARANTINE SERVICE
• RESEARCH
• RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY
• RURAL BUSINESS SERVICE
• RURAL DEVELOPMENT
• RURAL HOUSING SERVICE
• RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE
• STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY
• VETERINARY SERVICES

Partnerships

• World Cocoa Foundation
• American Farm Bureau Federation
• Global Food Safety Initiative
• Dairy Management Incorporated
• United Dairy Industry Association
• National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board

Investigations

Investigations

• https://usdaoig.oversight.gov
• https://www.gao.gov/agencies/department-agriculture

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