The
United States Department of Agriculture (
USDA), also known as the
Agriculture Department, is the
U.S. federal executive department responsible for developing and executing
U.S. federal government policy on
farming,
agriculture,
forestry, and
food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural
trade and production, work to assure
food safety, protect
natural resources, foster
rural communities and end
hunger in the
United States and abroad.
The head of the department is the
Secretary of Agriculture, who is a member of the
Cabinet. The current Secretary is
Tom Vilsack.