Department of Agriculture: What Does the USDA Do?

The US Department of Agriculture, or USDA, is a federal executive department responsible for farm policy, food safety, natural resources management, federal nutrition programs, and economic growth. It operates out of the Jamie L. Whitten Building in Washington, DC, but its work frequently extends into rural communities located throughout the country.

The USDA is led by the US secretary of agriculture, a cabinet-level officer who is nominated by the president and confirmed by a majority Senate vote. Recent agriculture secretaries include Tom Vilsack (who has served in the administrations of both Barack Obama and Joe Biden) and Sonny Perdue (who served in the administration of Donald Trump).

The US Department of Agriculture was established in 1862 during the administration of Abraham Lincoln.

• Origins: The department was not originally a cabinet-level agency. It was first headed by New Jersey agriculturalist Isaac Newton, and in 1889, President Grover Cleveland elevated the USDA to cabinet-level status.
• Forestry: In the 1880s, the department added forestry to its portfolio. Today, the United States Forest Service (USFS) operates within the USDA.
• Rural responsibilities: During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the USDA played a crucial role in propping up rural areas that relied on farming as a way of life. The 1930s also saw the creation of a food stamp program for low-income Americans. Today, that program is administered by the USDA.
• Home loans and ownership: In the 1940s, the department began providing guaranteed loans to home buyers in rural areas as part of its mission to spur economic development. Today, it maintains a role in rural homeownership via the Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs, better known as the Rural Housing Service (RHS).

The United States Department of Agriculture has a wide array of duties relating to farming, ranching, nutrition, forestry, food safety, and rural mortgage lending.

• Food safety: Through the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the USDA oversees the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products, as well as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Nutrition programs: The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service provides food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the United States's food stamp program. Eligibility depends upon monthly income. The federal agency also pays subsidies to farmers and often will purchase their surplus crops and provides federally funded school lunches to qualifying children.
• Health education: The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is designed to educate people in the United States on food choices and promote healthy physical activity.
• Natural resource management: Through the Forest Service and the National Resources Conservation Service, the USDA contributes to environmental preservation and sustainable industry within the nation's rural lands. It works closely with the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to achieve these goals.
• Home loan programs: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) provides direct loans with competitive interest rates to homebuyers in rural areas to spur rural development. RHS considers borrowers' credit scores, down payments, and household income when making decisions regarding a loan amount or future refinancing. USDA home loans have enabled many individuals to purchase or refinance their primary residence.
• Research: USDA agencies including the Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts research related to farmers, ranchers, and food consumers. Pesticides, genetic modifications, deforestation, and nutrition have all been topics of the USDA's scientific research.

The FDA is the Food and Drug Administration. Like the USDA, it concerns itself with food safety, but it does not share the USDA's mission regarding rural development, forestry, and poverty assistance programs.

When it comes to food safety, the USDA directs its focus toward meat, poultry, and eggs. The FDA inspects nearly all other foods. Together, they help assure that the food offered in grocery stores and restaurants across the United States is safe for human consumption.

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