United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was founded in 1862 by then President Abraham Lincoln without cabinet status to develop and execute policy on farming and food. It was upgraded to cabinet status in 1889, and it is currently administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Operating Units include:
- Extension Service of the USDA
- Farm Service Agency (FSA)
- Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
- Risk Management Agency (RMA)
- Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
- Forest Service (FS)
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
- Rural Business - Cooperative Service (RBS)
- Office of Community Development (OCD)
- Rural Housing Service (RHS)
- Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
- Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)
- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP)
- Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
- Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA)
- Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
- Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)
- Economic Research Service (ERS)
- National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
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
- 1916 - Federal Farm Loan Act
- 1917 - Food Control and Production Acts
- 1921 - Packers and Stockyards Acts
- 1922 - Grain Futures Act
- 1922 - National Agricultural Conference
- 1923 - Agricultural Credits Act
- 1933 - Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA)
- 1933 - Farm Credit Act
- 1935 - Resettlement Administration
- 1936 - Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act
- 1937 - Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act
- 1941 - National Victory Garden Program
- 1941 - Steagall Amendment
- 1946 - Farmers Home Administration
- 1946 - National School Lunch Act PL 79-396
- 1946 - Research and Marketing Act
- 1948 - Hope-Aiken Agriculture Act PL 80-897
- 1956 - Soil Bank Program authorized
- 1957 - Poultry Inspection Act
- 1947 - Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act PL 80-104
- 1949 - Agricultural Act PL 81-439
- 1954 - Food for Peace Act PL 83-480
- 1954 - Agricultural Act PL 83-690
- 1956 - Mutual Security Act PL 84-726
- 1957 - Poultry Products Inspection Act PL 85-172
- 1958 - Food Additives Amendment PL 85-929
- 1958 - Humane Slaughter Act
- 1958 - Agricultural Act PL 85-835
- 1961 - Agricultural Act PL 87-128
- 1964 - Agricultural Act PL 88-297
- 1964 - Food Stamp Act PL 88-525
- 1964 - Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Extension PL 88-305
- 1965 - Appalachian Regional Development Act
- 1965 - Food and Agriculture Act PL 89-321
- 1966 - Child Nutrition Act PL 89-642
- 1967 - Wholesome Meat Act PL 90-201
- 1968 - Wholesome Poultry Products Act PL 90-492
- 1970 - Agricultural Act PL 91-524
- 1972 - Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act PL 92-516
- 1970 - Environmental Quality Improvement Act
- 1970 - Food Stamp Act PL 91-671
- 1972 - Rural Development Act
- 1972 - National School Lunch Act Amendments (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) PL 92-433
- 1973 - Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act PL 93-86
- 1974 - Safe Drinking Water Act PL 93-523
- 1977 - Food and Agriculture Act PL 95-113
- 1996 - Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act PL 104-127
- 1996 - Food Quality Protection Act PL 104-170