United States Department of Agriculture
**1. Historical Background and Evolution of the USDA:**
– Established by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 through the Morrill Act.
– Initially led by commissioner Isaac Newton.
– Lobbying efforts for Cabinet representation in the 1880s.
– Attained Cabinet-level status in 1889.
– Origins in the Patent Office with the creation of the Agricultural Division in 1839.
– Notable developments during the New Deal era, including the establishment of various divisions and stations.
**2. USDA Programs and Services:**
– Food and Nutrition Service administering nutrition assistance programs.
– United States Forest Service managing national forests and grasslands.
– Inactive Departmental Services like the ASCS, SCS, and Animal Damage Control.
– Modern initiatives like the farm aid package, climate-smart commodities program, and debt relief program.
– COVID-19 relief efforts such as the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and Section 32 funding for food banks.
**3. Legal Cases and Discrimination Issues:**
– Pigford v. Glickman, Keepseagle v. Vilsack, Garcia v. Vilsack, and Love v. Vilsack cases addressing discrimination against Black, Native American, Hispanic, and female farmers.
– Allegations of discrimination by USDA personnel leading to a reduction in the number of African American farmers.
– Congressional actions like the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 to address discrimination issues.
**4. Environmental Justice and Related Initiatives:**
– USDA’s integration of environmental justice into its mission.
– Funding programs with social and environmental equity goals.
– Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice and the creation of an Interagency Working Group.
– Program initiatives like improving outreach to counties with persistent poverty and research on urban natural resources.
**5. Private Sector Relationships and Legislation:**
– USDA’s formalized relationship with the Global Food Safety Initiative.
– Legislative actions like the Equality for Women Farmers Act.
– Regulations related to environmental justice and federal actions for minority populations.
– Other topics like adjusted gross revenue insurance and the United States farm bill history.
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.
 Seal of the USDA | |
 Logo of the USDA | |
 Flag of the USDA | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 15, 1862 Cabinet status: February 15, 1889 |
| Preceding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | U.S. federal government |
| Headquarters | Jamie L. Whitten Building 1301 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 38°53′17″N 77°1′48″W / 38.88806°N 77.03000°W |
| Employees | 105,778 (June 2007) |
| Annual budget | US$213 billion (2024) |
| Agency executives | |
| Website | www |
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.