What Is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency that proposes programs and implements policies and regulations related to American farming, forestry, ranching, food quality, and nutrition.
President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms. The department now has 29 agencies with wide-ranging responsibilities, from food safety inspections to economic development for rural communities.
Key Takeaways
- USDA stands for U.S. Department of Agriculture and is a federal agency that Abraham Lincoln founded in 1862.
- The USDA is responsible for overseeing farming, ranching, and forestry industries, as well as regulating aspects of food quality and safety and nutrition labeling.
- The USDA is further tasked with administering several social welfare programs including free school lunches and food stamps.
What Does the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Do?
The USDA is made up of 29 agencies and offices, which include valuable resources like the Forest Service, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, and the National Agricultural Library. Its programs help provide the following services, among others: broadband access in rural areas; disaster assistance to farmers, ranchers, and rural residents; soil, water, and other natural resource conservation to landowners; wildfire prevention; and agricultural research and statistics.
The USDAalso is responsible for several social welfare programs, including: school meal nutrition; nutrition education; food assistance for women, infants, and children (WIC); and the food stamp program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP).
The USDA is vital in helping to keep America's farmers and ranchers in business andmakingsure that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome,and properly labeled. It also helps to support and ensure the health and care of animals and plants andthe health of the land through sustainable management.
The head of the USDA is the secretary of agriculture. Second in charge is the deputy secretary of agriculture, who oversees the department’s daily operations and budget. Undersecretaries oversee the divisions for rural development, food safety, and other areas,with nearly 100,000 employees who serve at more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad.
The USDAalso works toimprove the economy and quality of life in all of rural America.
USDA in Rural Development
One of the USDA's main tasks is in the area of rural development, especiallyrural housing.The USDAgives financial assistance for purchasing and refinancing rural homes through USDA Rural Development. It provides direct loans to very-low-income borrowers who want to purchase a rural home, guaranteed loans to moderate-income homebuyers, and loans and grants for rural home improvements and repairs.
USDA Rural Development includes three agencies that provide assistance to rural families and communities. In addition to its housing program, it has a utilities program and a business program.
What Is the Role of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a federal agency that plays a major role in rural development, particularly housing.It also oversees and implements programs related to the farming, ranching, and forestry industries and regulates food quality and safety, and nutrition labeling. In addition, the USDA runs several social welfare programs including free school lunches, food stamps, and food assistance for women and children.
How Does the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Operate?
The USDA employs 100,000 people at 29 agencies, in more than 4,500 locations across the United States and abroad.
What Is the USDA Office of Rural Development?
The USDA Office of Rural Development includes three agencies that provide economic assistance to rural families and communities—a housing program, a utilities program, and a business program. The housing program provides guaranteed and direct home loans to help low- and moderate-income borrowers in rural areas purchase modest homes with no down payment.
FAQs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a federal agency that plays a major role in rural development, particularly housing. It also oversees and implements programs related to the farming, ranching, and forestry industries and regulates food quality and safety, and nutrition labeling.
What is the USDA and what is their purpose? ›
The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) mission is to provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.
What is the purpose of the agricultural department? ›
To serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply, and enhancing local and global agricultural trade, through efficient management, innovation and sound science, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.
What is the primary role of the USDA quizlet? ›
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) supervises agricultural production to make sure prices are fair for producers and consumers, helps farmers financially with subsidies and development programs, and helps food producers sell their goods overseas. The department runs food assistance and nutrition programs.
What is the United States Department of Agriculture USDA responsible for regulating? ›
USDA is responsible for regulating meat and poultry, processed egg products, and catfish, whereas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees food safety for fresh eggs and almost all other foods. USDA, ERS examines how private markets and government regulation interact to help ensure a safe U.S. food supply.
What is the purpose of the USDA guidelines? ›
The purpose of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is to provide advice on what to eat and drink to build a healthy diet that can promote healthy growth and development, help prevent diet-related chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs.
What is the purpose of agriculture? ›
Agriculture is the practice of cultivating natural resources to sustain human life and provide economic gain. It combines the creativity, imagination, and skill involved in planting crops and raising animals with modern production methods and new technologies.
What is the US Department of Agriculture definition in agriculture? ›
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency that proposes programs and implements policies and regulations related to American farming, forestry, ranching, food quality, and nutrition. President Abraham Lincoln founded the USDA in 1862, when about half of all Americans lived on farms.
What does the USDA regulate? ›
USDA regulations provide official marketing standards for grains and oilseeds, and require that exported grains and oilseeds be officially weighed and inspected. The Department's laws also regulate the slaughter and manufacture of meat products.
What is the definition of agriculture in English? ›
Agriculture describes the practice of growing crops or raising animals. Someone who works as a farmer is in the agriculture industry. The Latin root of agriculture is agri, or "field," plus cultura, "cultivation." Cultivating a piece of land, or planting and growing food plants on it, is largely what agriculture means.
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) ensures that our nation's meat, poultry and processed egg supply is wholesome, safe and properly labeled.
How does the USDA define a farm? ›
Due to its broad, inclusive nature, the current USDA definition of a farm encompasses almost all organizations that produce agricultural goods, from small farms with very little or no production, to commercial farm businesses with sales in the millions of dollars.
Who is responsible for the USDA? ›
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack | USDA.
What is the primary role of the USDA? ›
We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.
Why is the USDA so important to U.S. agriculture? ›
Our agencies help to keep America's farmers and ranchers in business and ensure that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.
What does USDA mean? ›
USDA: United States Department of Agriculture.
What is the USDA and how do they protect you? ›
USDA regulations protect and promote U.S. agricultural health, administer the Animal Welfare Act, carry out wildlife damage management activities, and ensure that America's agricultural exports are protected from unjustified trade restrictions.
What is the purpose of the FDA and USDA? ›
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are two federal agencies responsible for regulating food labels in the United States. Each organization focuses on certain food products and has a food labeling oversight.
What is the role of the USDA in public health? ›
Food Safety and Inspection Service is the USDA public health agency responsible for protecting the public's health by ensuring the safety of meat, poultry, and egg products.
What is the benefit of USDA? ›
USDA loans offer a range of benefits, from a $0 down payment to relaxed credit requirements, that can make homeownership more accessible and affordable for individuals and families in designated rural areas.
