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Department of Agriculture: Difference between revisions
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Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) | Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) | ||
* | * [[Farm Production and Conservation Business Center]] | ||
* [[Natural Resources Conservation Service]] (NRCS) | * [[Natural Resources Conservation Service]] (NRCS) | ||
* [[Risk Management Agency]] (RMA) | * [[Risk Management Agency]] (RMA) | ||
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<ref>{{cite web|title=USDA Agencies|url=https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/mission-areas |website=USDA}}</ref> | <ref>{{cite web|title=USDA Agencies|url=https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/mission-areas |website=USDA}}</ref> | ||
Many of the programs concerned with the distribution of food and nutrition to people of the [[United States]] and providing | 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 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. | ||
The USDA also is concerned with assisting farmers and food producers with the sale of crops and food on both the domestic and world markets. It plays a role in overseas aid programs by providing surplus foods to developing countries. This aid can go through [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]], foreign governments, international bodies such as [[World Food Program]], or approved nonprofits. The [[Agricultural Act of 1949]], section 416 (b) and [[Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954]], also known as [[Food for Peace]], provides the legal basis of such actions. The USDA is a partner of the [[World Cocoa Foundation]]. | The USDA also is concerned with assisting farmers and food producers with the sale of crops and food on both the domestic and world markets. It plays a role in overseas aid programs by providing surplus foods to developing countries. This aid can go through [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]], foreign governments, international bodies such as [[World Food Program]], or approved nonprofits. The [[Agricultural Act of 1949]], section 416 (b) and [[Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954]], also known as [[Food for Peace]], provides the legal basis of such actions. The USDA is a partner of the [[World Cocoa Foundation]]. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
The standard history is Gladys L. Baker, ed., ''Century of Service: The first 100 years of the United States Department of Agriculture'' (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1963).<ref>It is not copyright and is [https://archive.org/details/centuryofservice00unit online here for free download.].</ref> | The standard history is Gladys L. Baker, ed., ''Century of Service: The first 100 years of the United States Department of Agriculture'' (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1963).<ref>It is not copyright and is [https://archive.org/details/centuryofservice00unit online here for free download.].</ref> | ||
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===History=== | ===History=== | ||
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> | 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 | 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 | 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, | 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> | ||
===New Deal era=== | ===New Deal era=== | ||
By the year 1933, the department was well established in Washington and very well known in rural America. In the agricultural field the picture was different. Statisticians created a comprehensive data-gathering arm in the Division of Crop and Livestock Estimates. Secretary Henry Wallace, a statistician, further strengthened the expertise by introducing sampling techniques. Professional economists ran a strong Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Most important was the agricultural experiment station system, a network of state partners in the land-grant colleges, which in turn operated a large field service in direct contact with farmers in practically every rural county. The department worked smoothly with a nationwide, well-organized pressure group, the [[American Farm Bureau Federation]]. It represented the largest commercial growers before Congress.<ref>David M. Kennedy, ''Freedom from fear: The American people in depression and war, 1929–1945'' (1999). p 203.</ref> | By the year 1933, the department was well established in Washington and very well known in rural America. In the agricultural field the picture was different. Statisticians created a comprehensive data-gathering arm in the Division of Crop and Livestock Estimates. Secretary Henry Wallace, a statistician, further strengthened the expertise by introducing sampling techniques. Professional economists ran a strong Bureau of Agricultural Economics. Most important was the agricultural experiment station system, a network of state partners in the land-grant colleges, which in turn operated a large field service in direct contact with farmers in practically every rural county. The department worked smoothly with a nationwide, well-organized pressure group, the [[American Farm Bureau Federation]]. It represented the largest commercial growers before Congress.<ref>David M. Kennedy, ''Freedom from fear: The American people in depression and war, 1929–1945'' (1999). p 203.</ref> | ||
As late as the | 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> | ||
=== Modern times === | === Modern times === | ||
On August 27, 2018, the USDA announced it would be providing U.S. farmers with a farm aid package totaling $4.7 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 | On August 27, 2018, the USDA announced it would be providing U.S. farmers with a farm aid package totaling $4.7 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> | ||
On 7 February 2022, the USDA announced the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a $1 billion program that will test and verify the benefits of climate-friendly agricultural practices.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Britt |title=USDA commits $1 billion to climate-smart agriculture |url=https://cen.acs.org/food/agriculture/USDA-commits-1-billion-climate/100/i6 |work=[[Chemical & Engineering News]]}}</ref> | On 7 February 2022, the USDA announced the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, a $1 billion program that will test and verify the benefits of climate-friendly agricultural practices.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Britt |title=USDA commits $1 billion to climate-smart agriculture |url=https://cen.acs.org/food/agriculture/USDA-commits-1-billion-climate/100/i6 |work=[[Chemical & Engineering News]]}}</ref> | ||
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===Inactive Departmental Services=== | ===Inactive Departmental Services=== | ||
* [[Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service]] (ASCS) (became part of the [[Farm Service Agency]] in 1994) | * [[Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service]] (ASCS) (became part of the [[Farm Service Agency]] in 1994) | ||
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==Discrimination== | ==Discrimination== | ||
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" /> | |||
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 | |||
In response to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court's]] ruling of unconstitutionality of the [[Agricultural Adjustment Act]], [[United States Congress|Congress]] enacted the [[Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936]], which established the [[Soil Conservation Service]] (SCS) which provided service to private landowners and encouraged subsidies that would relieve soil from excessive farming. The SCS in its early days were hesitant, especially in Southern jurisdictions, to hire Black conservationists. Rather than reaching out to Black students in universities for interviews and job opportunities, students had to reach out for the few opportunities granted to Black conservationists.<ref>Helms, Douglas. "Eroding the Color Line: The Soil Conservation Service and the Civil Rights Act of 1964." ''Agricultural History'', vol. 65, no. 2, Agricultural History Society, 1991, pp. 35–53, <nowiki>http://www.jstor.org/stable/3743706</nowiki>.</ref> | In response to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court's]] ruling of unconstitutionality of the [[Agricultural Adjustment Act]], [[United States Congress|Congress]] enacted the [[Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936]], which established the [[Soil Conservation Service]] (SCS) which provided service to private landowners and encouraged subsidies that would relieve soil from excessive farming. The SCS in its early days were hesitant, especially in Southern jurisdictions, to hire Black conservationists. Rather than reaching out to Black students in universities for interviews and job opportunities, students had to reach out for the few opportunities granted to Black conservationists.<ref>Helms, Douglas. "Eroding the Color Line: The Soil Conservation Service and the Civil Rights Act of 1964." ''Agricultural History'', vol. 65, no. 2, Agricultural History Society, 1991, pp. 35–53, <nowiki>http://www.jstor.org/stable/3743706</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 '' | 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> | ||
A March 17, 2006 letter from the GAO about the Pigford Settlement indicated that "the court noted that USDA disbanded its Office of Civil Rights in 1983, and stopped responding to claims of discrimination."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-06-469r.pdf |title=GAO-06-469R Pigford Settlement: The Role of the Court-Appointed Monitor |date= |access-date=2022-03-02}}</ref> | A March 17, 2006 letter from the GAO about the Pigford Settlement indicated that "the court noted that USDA disbanded its Office of Civil Rights in 1983, and stopped responding to claims of discrimination."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-06-469r.pdf |title=GAO-06-469R Pigford Settlement: The Role of the Court-Appointed Monitor |date= |access-date=2022-03-02}}</ref> | ||
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== Environmental justice initiatives == | == Environmental justice initiatives == | ||
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]] | 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. | ||
=== Background === | === Background === | ||
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==== Tribal development ==== | ==== Tribal development ==== | ||
USDA has had a role in implementing | 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 | 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: | ||
===== Rural housing===== | ===== Rural housing===== | ||
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===== Business and cooperative programs===== | ===== Business and cooperative programs===== | ||
*increased access to | *increased access to broadband connections | ||
*tribal workplace development and employment opportunities | *tribal workplace development and employment opportunities | ||
*sustainable renewable energy development | *sustainable renewable energy development | ||
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==== Tribal relations ==== | ==== Tribal relations ==== | ||
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 | 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: | ||
# Maintain a governmental relationship with Federally Recognized tribal governments. | # Maintain a governmental relationship with Federally Recognized tribal governments. | ||
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==Meat and poultry hotline== | ==Meat and poultry hotline== | ||
The '''USDA Meat and Poultry hotline''' is a toll-free | 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> | ||
The USDA also offers online text support via "Ask Karen."<ref name="Meat2017"/> | The USDA also offers online text support via "Ask Karen."<ref name="Meat2017"/> | ||
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=== Private sector relationships === | === Private sector relationships === | ||
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 | 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 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 | 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> | ||
==== Dairy ==== | ==== Dairy ==== | ||
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> | |||
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> | |||
=== COVID-19 relief === | === COVID-19 relief === | ||
During the | 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> | ||
{{blockquote|The American food supply chain had to adapt, and it remains safe, secure, and strong, and we all know that starts with America's farmers and ranchers. This program will not only provide immediate relief for our farmers and ranchers, but it will also allow for the purchase and distribution of our agricultural abundance to help our fellow Americans in need.}} | {{blockquote|The American food supply chain had to adapt, and it remains safe, secure, and strong, and we all know that starts with America's farmers and ranchers. This program will not only provide immediate relief for our farmers and ranchers, but it will also allow for the purchase and distribution of our agricultural abundance to help our fellow Americans in need.}} | ||
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*[[Farm Credit Administration]] | *[[Farm Credit Administration]] | ||
* [[Institute of Child Nutrition]] | * [[Institute of Child Nutrition]] | ||
* | * United States farm bill, history of Congressional laws on agriculture | ||
* [[United States Agricultural Society]] | * [[United States Agricultural Society]] | ||
* [[USDA home loan]] | * [[USDA home loan]] | ||