Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) supports agricultural production to ensure fair prices and sta­ble markets for producers and con­sumers, works to improve and main­tain farm income, and helps to devel­op and expand markets abroad for agricultural products. The depart­ment attempts to curb poverty, hunger and malnutrition by issuing food stamps to the poor, by sponsor­ing educational programs on nutri­tion, and by administering other food assistance programs, primarily for children, expectant mothers, and the elderly. It maintains production capacity by helping landowners pro­tect the soil, water, forests, and other natural resources.

USDA administers rural develop­ment, credit, and conservation pro­grams that are designed to implement national growth policies, and it conducts scientific and technologi­cal research in all areas of agricul­ture. Through its inspection and grading services, USDA ensures standards of quality in food offered for sale. The department's Agri­cultural Research Service works to develop solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority, and it administers the National Agricultural Library to disseminate information to a wide cross-section of users, from research scientists to the general public.

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) serves as an export promotion and service agency for U.S. agriculture, employing special­ists abroad who make surveys of for­eign agriculture for U.S. farm and business interests. The U.S. Forest Service, also part of the department, administers an extensive network of national forests and wilderness areas.