Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a broad and far-reaching mission—to enhance agricultural trade, improve farm economies and quality of life in rural America, protect the nation's food supply, improve the nation's nutrition, and protect and enhance the nation's natural resource base and environment, by providing leadership that is based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.

• For fiscal year 2010, USDA estimates that its 15 agencies will have total outlays of $133 billion.
• About 80 percent of the department's outlays (estimated at $105 billion) are associated with mandatory programs, including the majority of the nutrition assistance programs, farm commodity programs, export promotion programs, and a number of conservation programs.
• The remaining 20 percent of outlays (estimated at $28 billion) are associated with discretionary programs that support rural development loans and grants, management of national forests and other Forest Service activities, address pest and disease threats, research and education, technical assistance, domestic and international marketing assistance, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
• According to USDA, it was appropriated $28 billion of funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act for infrastructure and government benefits programs that increase nutrition assistance, expand funding opportunities for broadband loans and grants in rural communities, and provide funding to protect and conserve the nation's forests and farm land, among other things.

USDA faces challenges that could affect its ability to carry out certain of its responsibilities effectively and efficiently.

• Declining economic conditions, extreme weather events, the strength of the U.S. dollar abroad, and rising food prices—factors outside USDA's control—bring increased demand for food and farm assistance programs and challenge USDA to further improve its controls for ensuring proper payments.
• Today's global marketplace makes safeguarding food from contamination and protecting livestock and other natural resources from foreign diseases and invasive species more complicated.
• As a steward of the nation's natural resources, USDA faces the increasing severity and frequency of wildland fires that cross into populated rural and urban areas.
• USDA's Inspector General has identified information technology management and security as a material weakness that could seriously jeopardize USDA's operations and compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive USDA information.