Who is in charge of the United States Department of Agriculture?
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. Approximately 80% of the USDA’s $141 billion budget goes to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) program.
Who is the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service?
Daniel Whitley was named Administrator in the Foreign Agricultural Service. Whitley most recently served as Acting Administrator in the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Prior to that role, he was the Associate Administrator responsible for leading the agency’s trade policy and market analysis teams.
Who is the Farm Service Agency’s senior policy advisor?
Bidisha Bhattacharyya was named Senior Policy Advisor in the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Previously, Bhattacharyya served as director for Climate and Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, she was Vice President of Emerging Markets at the impact-investment firm Village Capital.
Who was the first Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture?
On May 15, 1862, Abraham Lincoln established the independent Department of Agriculture to be headed by a commissioner without Cabinet status, and the agriculturalist Isaac Newton was appointed to be the first such commissioner.
Who is the cabinet member of agriculture?
Tom VilsackUnited States Secretary of AgricultureIncumbent Tom Vilsack since February 24, 2021United States Department of AgricultureStyleMr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)Member ofCabinet13 more rows
What branch of the government is the Department of Agriculture?
United States executive departmentThe Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a United States executive department established in 1862 in order to “provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.”
What does the Department of Agriculture include?
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 is the Department of Agriculture purpose?
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.
What are the branches of government?
The Federal Government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the U.S. Constitution in the Congress, the President, and the Federal courts, respectively.
Who is the current Department of Agriculture Secretary?
William DarThe secretary of agriculture (Filipino: Kalihim ng Pagsasaka) is the member of the Cabinet of the Philippines in charge of the Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is William Dar, who assumed office on August 5, 2019.
Why would the USDA call me?
The letters and call purportedly come from a USDA procurement officer and seek personal information. These letters are false and in no case should a recipient respond with personal and financial information.
What level of government is responsible for agriculture?
Federal and provincial levels of government are both responsible for agriculture. The federal government regulates exports and marketing — activities used to promote and sell goods and services — across provinces. Provincial governments regulate and support marketing in their province.
What does the USDA do for consumers?
USDA offers a range of advice to help Americans reduce food waste, which in turn increases household food budgets and makes nutritious diets more affordable.
What are the duties of the Secretary of Agriculture?
The Secretary of Agriculture is a member of the president’s cabinet who takes the lead with USDA for the development of implementing policy on farming, agriculture and food. He is the main adviser to the president when it comes to recommending policy on interest of farmers, ranchers and general consumers.
Who is Marissa Perry?
Marissa Perry was named Speechwriter in the Office of Communications. Recently, Perry served as the Communications Director, and previously as Press Secretary, for former Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Prior to that, she held communications roles on Bullock’s re-election campaign, in the state legislature, and in the Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service where she worked on food security issues and with national service programs. Perry grew up in Idaho and is a graduate of the University of Montana.
Who is Michael Amato?
Michael Amato was named Communications Director in the Office of Communications. Prior to joining USDA, Amato founded Amato Advisors where he provided strategic, political, public affairs and crisis communications to a range of diverse clients. He served on the Biden-Harris transition team as the Deputy Lead on the General Government Appointments Team. In the Obama-Biden Administration, Amato served as the Director of Communications in the Office of Personnel Management. Prior to that, Amato held roles as a Professional Staff Member and the Communications Director for the minority on the House Armed Services Committee, as Communications Director for Rep. Adam Smith, and as the Assistant Press Secretary for Philadelphia Mayor John Street. He is a graduate of Temple University.
Who is Daniel Whitley?
Daniel Whitley was named Administrator in the Foreign Agricultural Service. Whitley most recently served as Acting Administrator in the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Prior to that role, he was the Associate Administrator responsible for leading the agency’s trade policy and market analysis teams. During his 20-plus year career in FAS, Daniel has served in a number of leadership roles including Deputy Administrator of the Office of Global Analysis and the Director of the Office of Civil Rights. He began his career with the Economic Research Service working on market access issues in the World Trade Organization. Whitley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics, is a proud graduate of Southern University and A&M College and Louisiana State University, and resides in Washington, DC.
Who is Basil Gooden?
Dr. Basil Gooden was named Director of State Operations for Rural Development. Dr. Gooden recently served as a Visiting Scholar in the Sustainable Food Access Core of the Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation (iCubed) at Virginia Commonwealth University. From 2016-2018, he served as the 3 rd Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to that, Dr. Gooden served as the Virginia State Director for Rural Development at USDA. He has previously held roles as the Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, as an Extension Specialist in Community Vitality at Virginia Tech, and as a County Committee Advisor for the Buckingham/Cumberland County, USDA-Farm Service Agency. Dr. Gooden holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in Social Work from Syracuse University, and a master’s degree in Public Health and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a native of Buckingham County, Virginia, where he and his family still own and operate a cattle farm.
How long was Duran in the Obama administration?
Previously, Duran served eight years in the Obama Administration, first as Special Assistant to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, then as Chief of Staff for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and ultimately as Chief of Staff for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Who is Bidisha Bhattacharyya?
Bidisha Bhattacharyya was named Senior Policy Advisor in the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Previously, Bhattacharyya served as director for Climate and Energy Policy at the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, she was Vice President of Emerging Markets at the impact-investment firm Village Capital. She previously spent three years deploying solar energy solutions in rural India with the technology startup Simpa Networks. Bhattacharyya spent four years on Capitol Hill as Senior Energy and Agriculture Policy Adviser to Senator Al Franken of Minnesota and as Energy and Agriculture Legislative Assistant for Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and a bachelor’s from St. Olaf College.
Who is the Deputy Chief of Staff for Agriculture in 2021?
22, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C. Maribel Duran was named Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the Office of the Secretary.
Who is Valerie McMakin?
Valerie McMakin was named Legislative Analyst in the Office of Congressional Relations. McMakin recently served as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Jon Tester of Montana. She held several roles in Senator Tester’s office, including Staff Assistant, Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Legislative Correspondent. She is a graduate of Emory University.
Who is Lynn Overmann?
Lynn Overmann was named Senior Advisor for Data and Technology in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration. Most recently, she served as a Senior Data Strategist for Opportunity Insights, which sought to expand economist Dr. Raj Chetty’s pioneering research harnessing big data to improve upward mobility in America. Prior to that, Overmann served as Vice President for Data-Driven Justice and Head of the DC Office for Arnold Ventures. In the Obama Administration, she served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Office in the White House, Deputy Chief Data Officer at the Department of Commerce, and in several roles at the Department of Justice. She holds a juris doctor degree from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s from Bryn Mawr College.
Who is Mickeala Carter?
She holds a bachelor’s from Southern New Hampshire University. Mickeala Carter was named Deputy Director of Communications in the Office of Communications. Most recently, Carter served as Director of Communications and External Affairs for the House Agriculture Committee where she worked for Chairman David Scott.
Summary
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It 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 i…
Overview
The USDA is divided into different agencies:
• Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
• Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
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).
Early in its history, the American economy was largely agrarian. Officials in the federal government had long sought new and improved varieties of seeds, plants and animals for import into the United States. In 1829, by request of James Smithson out of a desire to further promulgate and di…
Organization and Component Staff Level
USDA’s offices and agencies are listed below, with full-time equivalent staff levels according to the estimated FY2019 appropriation, as reported in USDA’s FY2020 Congressional Budget Justification.
• Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) (became part of the Farm Service Agency in 1994)
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. The effect of this discrimination has been the reduction in the number of African American farmers in the United States. Though African American farmers have been the most hit by discriminatory actions by the USDA, women, Native Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities h…
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, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack emphasized the USDA’s focus on EJ in rural communities around the United States, as well as connecting with Indigenous Tribes and ensuring they understand and receive their environmental rights. USDA does fund programs with social and en…
Other
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 GAP Plus + certification programme, where Technical Equival…
Related legislation
Important legislation setting policy of the USDA includes the:
• 1890, 1891, 1897, 1906 Meat Inspection Act
• 1906: Pure Food and Drug Act
• 1914: Cotton Futures Act