Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on issues related to food, agriculture, rural development, and natural resources based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.  USDA focuses on further developing alternative markets for agricultural products and activities, and providing financing needed to help expand job opportunities and improve housing, utilities, and infrastructure in rural America.  The Department also works to enhance food safety, improve nutrition and health, support international agricultural and economic development, and manage and help to protect America’s public and private lands.  The President’s Budget provides $26 billion to support this important mission.

• Invest in five core areas to promote rural job creation:  access to broadband services, regional food systems, renewable energy programs, climate change, and rural recreation.
• $429 million, the highest funding level ever, for competitive research grants through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
• $418 million in loans and grants for rural communities to expand broadband access.
• Refocus Forest Service resources to support watershed and ecosystem improvement efforts.

Eat Healthier, Live Better

• $7.6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to fully serve all eligible individuals.
• $10 billion over 10 years for a strong Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization.
• $50 million for a new "Healthy Food Financing Initiative" to bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved communities.
• Support efforts to reduce food-borne illnesses from products inspected by USDA.

Expand Opportunities for America’s Farmers

• $54 million discretionary funding increase to promote U.S. agricultural exports by developing and maintaining overseas markets and reducing foreign trade barriers and other practices that hinder U.S. agricultural exports.
• Targets farm payments to those who need – and can most benefit from – assistance and reforms the crop insurance program by renegotiating the government’s agreement with crop insurance companies.

Protect the Nation’s Natural Resources

• Fund several important conservation efforts such as improving water quality, restoring and protecting almost 200,000 additional acres of wetlands, and reducing nutrient loading in the Chesapeake Bay.

High-Priority Performance Goals
The Administration is committed to building a transparent, high-performance government capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century.  As part of developing the budget, every department identified high-priority performance goals (along with the strategies and in-house resources to achieve them) that each will work to accomplish over the next two years.  Highlights of this department’s goals are:

• Assist rural communities to increase prosperity so they are self sustaining, re-populating, and economically thriving.
• Conserve, restore, and make our national forests and private working lands more resilient to climate change and enhance our water resources.
• Help America to promote agricultural production and biotechnology exports as America works to increase food security.
• Ensure that all of America’s children have access to safe, nutritious and balanced meals.

To see the Department’s full set of performance information, please visit:  http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navid=PERFORMANCE_IMP&parentnav=HOME&navtype=RS.