The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees more than just agriculture; it manages diverse functions including food assistance, trade, and land conservation, employing nearly 100,000 individuals and operating with a vast budget. However, under President Trump and Secretary Brooke Rollins, the agency has faced severe constraints, including staff cuts, program eliminations, and funding freezes that hurt local food systems. The USDA has also eliminated equity measures, cancelled environmental protections, and relaxed food safety standards, fundamentally reshaping its role and objectives.
"Since Trump's inauguration, the inner workings of the agency have been in a constant state of flux - thousands of staffers were terminated only to be temporarily reinstated; entire programs have been stripped down; and a grant freeze crippled state, regional, and local food systems that rely on federal funding."
"The USDA has broadly scrapped Biden-era equity and climate resilience scoring criteria from dozens of programs across multiple subagencies by banning language like 'people of color' and 'climate change.'"
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