U.S. Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in urgent need of revitalization if it is to again become a force in American agriculture. Although the agency's client base has expanded over the years to encompass nutrition, international trade, and environmental issues, USDA's structure has changed little since the days when most Americans worked on the farm and sold their goods to local markets. USDA needs to revisit its mission and goals, then come up with an organizational structure to achieve them. Opportunities also exist to streamline the agency's field structure, which often requires farmers to deal with many different offices, employees, and administrative procedures. USDA will have to overcome the parochial concerns of individual agencies as it moves towards an organization that meets the needs of a rapidly changing agriculture sector. Revitalizing USDA will not be easy, a task made even more difficult by the current environment of severe fiscal constraints. Responding to this challenge will require determined, creative, and sustained efforts by the leadership in USDA and Congress.