Department of Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a broad and far-reaching mission—to enhance agricultural trade, improve farm economies and quality of life in rural America, protect the nation’s food supply, improve the nation’s nutrition, and protect and enhance the nation’s natural resource base and environment, by providing leadership that is based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.
- In fiscal year 2008, USDA’s 17 agencies had total outlays of $89 billion.
- About 75 percent of the department’s outlays went for mandatory programs that included the majority of food assistance programs, farm commodity programs, export promotion programs, and a number of conservation programs.
- The remaining 25 percent was discretionary and used to support rural development loans and grants, management of national forests and other Forest Service activities, programs to address pest and disease threats, research and education, technical assistance, domestic and international marketing assistance, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
- The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that, for fiscal years 2008 through 2012, spending on the programs covered in the 2008 Farm Bill will total about $307 billion.
USDA faces challenges that could affect its ability to carry out certain of its responsibilities effectively and efficiently.
- Declining economic conditions, extreme weather events, the strength of the U.S. dollar abroad, and rising food prices—factors outside USDA’s control—bring increased demand for food and farm assistance programs and challenge USDA to further improve its controls for ensuring proper payments.
- Today’s global marketplace makes safeguarding food from contamination and protecting livestock and other natural resources from foreign diseases and invasive species more complicated.
- As a steward of the nation’s natural resources, USDA faces the increasing severity and frequency of wildland fires that cross into populated rural and urban areas.
- USDA’s Inspector General has identified information technology management and security as a material weakness that could seriously jeopardize USDA’s operations and compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive USDA information.
