A Record of Progress at the

United States Department of Agriculture

Harvest of Hope
‘‘In our every deliberation, we must consider

the impact of our decisions on the next seven

generations.” 

Iroquois Law 
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Contents

Foreword ..........................................................................2

Our Record of Progress at USDA ......................................4

Building a 21st Century Farm Policy..................................6

A Less Hungry World, A Healthier Nation ........................10

Protecting Our Natural Resources and the Environment....17

Reviving the Rural American Dream..................................21

A New Era of Civil Rights ..................................................24

Safer Food for America’s Families ....................................27

Building a Healthy, Open, and Fair Farm Economy ..........30

Exploring New Scientific Frontiers ....................................34

Delivering Value to Stakeholders ......................................37

Epilogue ..........................................................................40

Cover photos represent some of USDA's programs (left to right): 

• Building a 21st Century Farm Policy: Midwestern corn field; 

• Safe Food for America's Families: Two children enjoy apples; 

• Protecting Our Natural Resources: Scene from a national forest; 

• Reviving the Rural American Dream: Rural scene; 

• Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman; 

• Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Rich Rominger;

• A Less Hungry World: Container ship in port; 

• Building a Healthy, Open and Fair Farm Economy: Produce at market; and

• Exploring New Scientific Frontiers: Research test tubes. 

Background photo: Scene from a national forest.
Foreword

The Iroquois teach us that in our every decision, we must consider

the impact not only on ourselves, but also on the next seven generations. As the Clinton Administration winds to a close, I am

proud of the many achievements made at USDA. These efforts have

touched the lives of all Americans and many people around the world.

Without a doubt, our harvest of hope and progress will have a positive

impact for many years – indeed, many generations – to come.

This report to the President shares with the American people the major

accomplishments of USDA in the year 2000. It also offers us the opportunity to take one last look back over President Clinton’s strong record of

achievements at USDA – a proud record 8 years in the making. 

From establishing a Global Food for Education Initiative to achieving

reduced foodborne illnesses due to modernized inspections, to standing

by the Nation’s farmers and ranchers in difficult times, to taking bold

steps to protect America’s last pristine forests, to achieving record-high

rural homeownership levels, the progress at USDA in the year 2000 is a

powerful testament to the work and vision of the Clinton Administration.

When Abraham Lincoln created USDA in 1862, he called us the "people’s

department." No Administration in modern history has done more to see

USDA live up to the full promise of this name than President Clinton’s.

Working together over the past 8 years, we: 

• Embraced the wide diversity of U.S. agriculture today by fighting for a

strong, inclusive safety net and vital programs that give farmers

resources to do their work more sustainably;

• Escalated America’s war on hunger here in America and around the

world;

• Empowered Americans with knowledge of the strong ties between

nutrition and health;

• Modernized food safety inspections and dramatically reduced

foodborne illnesses;

• Brought clean, safe drinking water or improved the drinking water to

3.4 million rural Americans;

• Transformed USDA’s civil rights record from lousy to laudable;

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• Empowered the poorest rural areas in the country to take control of

their economic destiny;

• Forged international trade agreements to expand market opportunities

for U.S. producers; 

• Took historic steps to protect America’s remaining pristine national

forests;

• And, trimmed the fat at USDA, producing a leaner Department – with

far fewer employees and offices – and a true model for government that

"works better and costs less." 

I want to thank the many USDA employees, customers, partners, Members

of Congress, and other stakeholders for their contributions to the work of

USDA in recent years. From agriculture to nutrition, to food safety, to conservation – the work of this Department touches the lives of every American every day. What an opportunity to make a difference for our country

and our world.

This is an opportunity that President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore,

former Secretary Mike Espy, Deputy Secretary Rich Rominger, and countless others seized every day, as we fought to leave as our gift to future

generations a strong farm economy, a thriving rural America, a productive

natural resource base, a healthy population, and a less hungry world. By

tirelessly carrying out the vision of President Clinton and Vice President

Gore, the "people’s department" made an enduring impact on the quality

of life here in America and around the world. Through our work together,

we have left the most precious of legacies to future generations. It is a

legacy of hope.

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Our Record of Progress at USDA

Over the past 8 years, the Clinton Administration worked to harness the opportunities at USDA

to use government to make a difference in people’s lives by fostering a strong economy across

urban and rural America, protecting natural resources for future generations, leading the world

war on hunger, and promoting the public health through food safety and nutrition efforts. The

Administration also took a strong stand for America’s family farmers and ranchers, embracing

the wide diversity that is U.S. agriculture today, and fighting for a U.S. farm economy facing its

most difficult trials in decades.

Priority America’s Challenge

FOOD SAFETY

In 1996, as many as 5 million illnesses and 4,500 deaths in the United

States annually were attributed to eating unsafe meat, poultry, and egg

products. 

HUNGER & NUTRITION

In the 1990's, about 10 million American children lived in households that

were "food insecure,"where family members either went hungry or gave

up other basic needs, such as medical care, to put food on the table. From

famine in Africa to the collapse of economies in Asia and Russia, the

1990's also saw mounting needs for emergency food aid.

RURAL AMERICA

Although it is difficult for urban and suburban Americans to comprehend

that there are still families without clean, safe drinking water in their

homes, in 1993, 3 million rural Americans had no running water in their

homes. In addition, some 535 rural counties had stagnated in persistent

poverty since 1960.

CIVIL RIGHTS

Like the country as a whole, USDA has a long and painful history of 

separate and unequal treatment of its female and minority customers and

employees. 

CONSERVATION & FORESTRY

In 1992, a total of 128 million acres of U.S. cropland were eroding at rates

that would destroy the soil’s future ability to produce food. Large livestock

facilities threatened America’s waterways and wetlands and other wildlife

habitat were disappearing at alarming rates. Also, road development

threatened roadless areas of the Nation’s forests. 

FARM ECONOMY

In the 1990's, more than 200,000 farms in America – mostly small family

farms – disappeared. U.S. farm policy did not include an adequate safety

net and neglected the majority of U.S. producers who were not farmers of

traditional row crops. In addition, farmers and ranchers faced significant

trade barriers in their efforts to expand their export opportunities.
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Clinton Administration’s Response

FOOD SAFETY

... In 1996, USDA launched a science-based inspection system for meat

and poultry. In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control announced decreases of between 22% and 70% in foodborne illnesses caused by common

pathogens on meat and poultry. This decline was attributed, in part, to the

implementation of USDA’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Systems.

HUNGER & NUTRITION

... Since 1993, USDA improved the nutritional value of school meals;

launched nutrition education efforts in the schools; dramatically increased

participation in the special supplemental nutrition program for women,

infants, and children, and expanded afterschool, summer, and school

breakfast programs to reach more low-income children. Internationally, in

FY 1999, the Clinton Administration increased the level of U.S. humanitarian food assistance by nearly 200%–averting a mass famine in the Horn of

Africa and aiding people in many countries, from Indonesia to Russia to

war-torn Kosovo.

RURAL AMERICA

... In 1994, USDA launched President Clinton’s Water 2000 Initiative. By

2000, USDA had invested more than $3 billion in Water 2000 projects

across the country. The project was ultimately expanded to also help rural

residents with significant water quality or quantity problems. The historic

investment provided clean, safe drinking water to 3.4 million residents.

CIVIL RIGHTS

... Farm loans to women and minorities were up 50% from 1997 to 1999;

99% of USDA’s workforce has completed civil rights training. Department

diversity is growing, even amid staff downsizing. USDA has taken nearly

100 disciplinary actions to uphold civil rights and the Justice Department

has paid $490 million so far to African-American farmers to resolve discrimination claims against USDA.

CONSERVATION & FORESTRY

... USDA now has an arsenal of strong conservation programs. They provide close to $2 billion a year to farmers who want to pursue sustainable

agriculture, protect air and water quality, and support wildlife habitat.

These programs help prevent the annual loss of 1 billion tons of America’s

soil due to erosion. In addition, millions of acres of roadless areas in the

national forests have been protected for future generations. 

FARM ECONOMY

... The Department worked to restitch the farm safety net, making crop

insurance more available and developing risk management tools that aid

all of U.S. agriculture – from ranchers to row crops to niche crops. 

Thanks to a concerted effort, the number of small farms in America

increased in 1999, reversing for the first time the long-term trend of

declining numbers. From ratifying the North American Free Trade 

Agreement in 1993 to normalizing trade relations with China in 1999, 

the Clinton Administration pursued an aggressive trade agenda that 

has delivered to America’s farmers and ranchers the most open world

agricultural markets in modern time.
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Agriculture is risk. It means

getting up every day and

doing hard work against the

odds. At no time in our history have

the odds seemed more stacked

against America’s farmers and

ranchers. While 1996 saw record

farm incomes and exports, the U.S.

farm economy since has been

caught in a downward spiral–due

to record world food and fiber production, a series of natural disasters, and a new agriculture policy

that left the farm safety net in tatters.

The Clinton Administration worked

tirelessly to expand opportunities

for U.S. agricultural producers and

to stitch a new farm safety net that

embraces the diversity of American

agriculture today and works to

expand opportunities – around the

world and in new markets here at

home. The Administration believed

deeply in renewing the Nation’s

sacred compact with its farmers

and worked tirelessly to see that

productive and efficiently run farms

and ranches were not lost due to

forces beyond a producer’s control

– from powerful storms to weak

markets. 

Building a 21st Century Farm Policy

The Administration also fought to

get Congress to address the failure

of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to

provide an adequate safety net.

While supporting billions of dollars

in emergency assistance, the

Administration argued forcefully

that a new farm policy must be

built from the ground up to reduce

the U.S. farm economy’s annual

dependence on billions of dollars in

ad hoc disaster aid through aggressive expansion of market opportunities and innovative risk

management strategies. 

In 2000, the Administration distributed a record amount of emergency

aid, carried out needed reforms to

the crop insurance program, and

made significant progress in leveling the playing field for U.S. agriculture in critical export markets. In

addition, the years of concerted

efforts to see more Federal

resources reach small family farmers began to pay off – with news

that the numbers of small farms in

America increased, reversing for the

first time the long-term decline. It

was a strong year that capped off a

strong record of progress in helping

America’s farmers and ranchers

through a challenging time and laying the groundwork for a secure

and prosperous future for the men

and women who feed America and

much of the world. 
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Record Aid to Farmers and

Ranchers

USDA distributed a record $28 billion in direct assistance to farmers

and ranchers in 2000. This represented about half of total farm

income. Without this aid, farm

income would have hit its lowest

level since 1984. Farmers coped

with high worldwide production

that continued to depress prices.

Mother Nature also presented

challenges, from drought in the

South to floods in the Northern

Plains to wild fires in the West.

The aid included $8 billion in loan

deficiency payments and marketing

assistance loan gains and $11 billion for supplemental income

assistance. USDA closed out the

fiscal year by issuing nearly $5.5

billion in emergency payments to

almost 1.4 million farmers. About

97 percent of the emergency payments were issued in only 2 weeks.

Secretary Glickman made clear

that this aid was merely a stopgap measure. "I remain concerned

that the 1996 farm bill has left our

farmers without an adequate safety net in tough times," Glickman

said. "Emergency assistance, while

helpful in the short-term, does not

address the long-term, structural

problems of the 1996 farm bill.

Rather, the need for annual ‘emergency’ assistance underscores the

failure of the 1996 farm bill."

The Agricultural Risk 

Protection Act of 2000

President Clinton signed into law a

significant reform of the Nation’s

crop insurance system in June. The

bill invests $8.2 billion over 5 years

to improve crop insurance, by

making "buy-up" coverage more

affordable and addressing the

needs of producers who lost their

crops several years in a row. The

legislation also expands development of new risk management

products and improves the integrity of the crop insurance program.

President Clinton signed the bill

because it makes higher insurance

coverage affordable and accessible

to more U.S. producers and

because it provides incentives for

the development of new risk management products to help a wider

range of farmers and ranchers

effectively handle the risks inherent in agriculture. But this legislation also included the third

multi-billion-dollar emergency

assistance package to farmers in

many years. As a result, President

Clinton signed the bill with reservations because it failed to address

the failings of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act

of 1996. "I would hope that the

experience of the last 3 years has

taught those who shape farm policy on Capitol Hill – as farm families across the country have

learned first-hand the hard way –

that we need to build a stronger,

better farm safety net on which

American producers, their families,

and communities can depend,"

President Clinton said.

Permanent Normal Trade

Relations with China

In preparation for its entry into the

World Trade Organization (WTO),

China in 1999 signed several

agreements to open its markets to

more U.S. agricultural products,

lifting longstanding bans on

imports of wheat, meat, and citrus. China had banned imports of

U.S. wheat for over 25 years for

scientifically unjustified reasons.

But in 2000, the United States sold

75,000 tons of wheat to China as a

result of the agreements.

Shipments of citrus began in

March, and in April the first direct

shipment of meat from the United

States to China occurred. With
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China’s bid to join the WTO nearly

complete, the prospects for growing

trade with China seemed bright in

2000. But to realize those benefits

in full, the Clinton Administration

sought to permanently normalize

trade relations with China. With a

strong, bi-partisan effort led by the

Administration and allies in Congress, the House of Representatives

voted for permanent normal trade

relation status for China in May

and then the Senate voted for it in

September. U.S. agricultural exports

are expected to grow by $2 billion

per year as a result of this 

decision – once China joins the

World Trade Organization by 

2005 – providing a much-needed

boost to struggling U.S. farmers

and ranchers.

Progress on Small Farms

In 1998, Secretary Glickman

appointed a National Commission

on Small Farms to talk to farmers

and ranchers, and experts in agriculture and economics across the

country about the future of small

farms and what government could

do to make it brighter. Ever since,

efforts have been underway

throughout the Department to

address the specific needs of small

farming operations in every USDA

program. In 2000, the Department

carried on these efforts through a

wide range of activities – from

enhanced outreach to new marketing strategies, to efforts to ensure

fair prices in the marketplace, to

innovative research and extension

strategies. The Department

published a progress report in April

that detailed progress in promoting

small farms. But perhaps the best

measure of this concerted effort is

USDA data showing that in 1999,

the number of small farms in America grew, reversing for the first time

the long-term decline.

Dealing with Drought

After the toughest drought season

in nearly a century, parts of 44

States were declared agricultural

disaster areas in 2000, making

emergency low-interest loans available to tens of thousands of hardhit farmers. Besides the damage to

agriculture, water availability and

local economics, drought preparedness took on a particular sense of

urgency as devastating fires swept

through Western States, spreading

rapidly and proving difficult to control due to the arid conditions. In

May, Secretary Glickman received

the final report of the National

Drought Policy Commission. The

report recommended a new

drought policy that takes the long

view, favoring preparedness over

insurance and offering incentives to

producers and others to plan for

droughts. The group also recommended greater coordination

between Federal programs and

other efforts. It is estimated that

drought costs the United States

more than $6 billion a year. A substantial amount of this sum could

be mitigated by a more pro-active

approach.

Expanding Farm Storage

Realizing that farmers needed better market flexibility and greater

relief from storage shortages, USDA

this past year began making 7-

year, low-cost loans to help build

or upgrade commodity storage and

handling facilities. By September

2000, USDA had approved 1,585

loans totaling $46.9 million in 29

States. As a result, 244 new facilities were completed. These facilities will increase on-farm storage

capacity by 31.2 million bushels –

creating far more flexibility for

farmers, so they are not forced to

market when prices are low.

Boosting Bio-Energy

In October, Secretary Glickman

announced a $300-million bioenergy program to expand production of environmentally friendly

fuels made from corn, soybeans,

and other crops. The program, initially proposed in President Clinton's 2001 budget, will increase

Secretary Glickman in China.
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ing system, one which offers more

opportunity to American farm families, fairness for farmers in the

developing world, and better prices

and choice for consumers

everywhere. The next phase of the

negotiations is set for March 2001. 

Reinventing Farm Loans

To make USDA’s farm loan

programs more efficient, the processing time for obtaining most

loans was reduced from 6 weeks to

2 weeks, and the guaranteed lending application was reduced from

six pages to one page. USDA also

condensed its farm loan regulations

by deleting 1,200 pages and reducing the number of required forms

by half. The Certified Lender Program was expanded and made

more flexible. At the same time, its

application forms and paperwork

requirements were reduced. Thanks

to these efforts, struggling farmers

and ranchers don’t have to face yet

another obstacle – in the form of

government bureaucracy – when

seeking financing for their operations.

Reaching Under-served

Customers

USDA’s sustained efforts to better

serve socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers began to bear

fruit in 2000, with the first numbers

backing up the concerted outreach

work of President Clinton. The

2000 data revealed that between

1995 and 1999, USDA’s Farm Service Agency increased its lending to

Native Americans by 175 percent.

Overall, lending to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers was

up 44 percent from 1998 to 1999

alone.

President Clinton joined Secretary Glickman

in announcing a new program to promote

environmentally friendly fuels.

markets for agricultural commodities and promote bio-fuels like

ethanol and soy-based bio-diesel.

The new program marks a major

step in Federal efforts to meet

President Clinton’s goal of tripling

the Nation’s use of bio-based

products and bio-energy by 2010.

Under the program, USDA will

make cash payments to bio-energy

companies that increase their purchases of agricultural commodities

in order to expand production of

ethanol, bio-diesel, or other biofuels. The program will provide

higher payments to small and

new-to-market processors, including cooperatives, to encourage the

expansion of domestic bio-energy

production. USDA also began

soliciting proposals for pilot projects that burn harvested vegetation

to produce energy and took steps

to develop a Bio-based Products

List to guide Federal procurement

officials wishing to purchase these

products. 

World Trade Organization

Agriculture Negotiations

With one in three farm acres producing for world markets, a strong

U.S. farm economy depends on

strong U.S. exports. As a result,

the Clinton Administration has

worked hard to build a global marketplace that is more fair and market-oriented, providing U.S.

producers with an all-important

level playing field. The United

States put forward an aggressive

proposal for a new round of World

Trade Organization talks that

called for substantial reductions in

tariffs, the elimination of export

subsidies, and the simplification

and reduction in disparities in

domestic support. The proposal

preserves the legitimate role for

governments to invest in their agricultural and rural economies, but

encourages them to do so in ways

that do not distort trade. The Clinton Administration plan aims to

build a more open, stable, and

prosperous world agricultural trad-
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As the world’s most wealthy

and agriculturally abundant

Nation, the United States is

uniquely positioned to lead the

world war on hunger. Fulfilling this

leadership responsibility was a

high priority for the Clinton Administration. In 1996, Secretary Glickman led the U.S. delegation to the

World Food Summit. There, the

United States joined with countries

around the world in agreeing to

work together to reduce world

hunger by half by 2015. The

Administration also maintained a

strong commitment to seeing the

day when America could eradicate

hunger here at home.

While the 1990's were marked by

an historic economic expansion,

the Clinton Administration never

lost sight of the fact that nearly 10

million Americans live in "food

insecure" households, where families are forced to make impossible

choices between medicine, meals,

and other basic needs. Around the

globe, one in five people is hungry,

most of them children. 

From a major new initiative to

raise a generation of less hungry

children around the world, to a

dramatic escalation in U.S. humanitarian food donations, to efforts to

boost grass-roots anti-hunger

efforts across this country, the

Clinton Administration put the

United States squarely out front in

leading the world war on hunger in

the year 2000. With its strong

international efforts, this Administration has made clear that the

Nation’s commitment to fighting

hunger does not stop at the water’s

edge. In particular, the Clinton

Administration’s prompt and massive use of food aid–to avert a

famine in Africa and to aid hungry

people around the world – will likely be one of President Clinton’s

greatest legacies. 

This Administration also will be

remembered for taking a strong

stand in defense of the Nation’s

anti-hunger safety net. It also will

leave a strong public health legacy,

thanks to its work merging antihunger efforts with nutrition efforts

to ensure public policy reflects the

powerful ties scientists now know

exist between healthy eating and

healthy lives. From defending the

importance of food stamps and

school meals to creating a massive

nutrition education effort in schools

across America, to ensuring Federal

nutrition assistance programs support a balanced diet, this Administration has made great strides to

both fight hunger and improve public health. 

Year 2000 accomplishments reflect

this commitment as well. From

forging a new partnership to create

healthy school environments, to

launching a new campaign to promote physical activity and combat

the rising epidemic of childhood

obesity, to carrying out an aggressive outreach campaign to ensure

A Less Hungry World, A Healthier Nation

Secretary Glickman visits former President of

South Africa Nelson Mandela.
11

food stamp benefits reach hungry

families who need help, this

Administration continued to build

on its proud legacy of championing

hunger and nutrition efforts across

the Nation.

A Record Year For 

Humanitarian Food Aid

A largely untold story is of President Clinton’s continued commitments to humanitarian food aid to

countries in need–from North Korea

to sub-Saharan Africa. In FY1999,

USDA provided approximately 9.5

million metric tons of U.S.

commodities for humanitarian purposes. This was nearly twice the

previous year’s donations, and the

largest level of humanitarian food

aid in at least 25 years. In 2000,

the Administration carried on this

proud tradition, donating nearly 2

million tons of U.S. wheat, corn,

rice, and other commodities to

Africa alone. These donations were

nearly double the tonnage provided

to Africa in the previous year.

"These donations," Secretary Glickman said, "reflect the American tradition of sharing our abundance

with the hungry, the displaced, and

those who most desperately need

our help around the world."

Averting Famine in the 

Horn of Africa

For millions of people around the

world, President Clinton’s strong

commitment to humanitarian food

donations has literally meant the

difference between life and death.

When 2 years of drought turned the

normally lush and green African

savannah to a barren and dusty

brown, 16 million Africans were

put at risk. The Clinton Administration, through USDA programs,

responded. Historically, the United

States accounts for roughly onethird of the food aid needs of

Africa. In 2000, U.S. contributions

surged to more than 75 percent of

the world’s effort. According to the

head of the United Nations (U.N.)

World Food Program, the prompt

and massive humanitarian

response of the Clinton Administration helped avert a famine in the

Horn of Africa. In July, Secretary

Glickman led a U.S. delegation to

Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa to

learn more about hunger,

infrastructure, and health care

issues facing the continent. There,

Secretary Glickman made clear the

importance of strong international

involvement. "I want to shine a

spotlight on the desperate urgency

of the development challenges in

Africa," the Secretary said. "These

countries are facing a wide array of

catastrophic situations including

AIDS, poor infrastructure, famine,

and war. Without the help of the

United States and other members

of the international community,

they have little short-term hope of

overcoming these obstacles."

Secretary Glickman serves food to children 

at Mother Teresa’s children’s orphanage in 

Nigeria.
12

Global Food for Education 

Initiative

At the National Nutrition Summit

in May, George McGovern, U.S.

Ambassador to the U.N. Food

Agencies, called on the United

States to develop an international

school feeding program to benefit

children in the developing world.

Two months later, President Clinton

created the Global Food for Education Initiative to provide school

meals to needy children around the

world to improve their health and

to encourage them to enroll and

complete their education. USDA

will work with the United Nations,

private voluntary organizations,

and others on this effort. In the

first year, the United States will

invest $300 million to help feed as

many as 11 million children.

Speaking to African leaders in

Washington, D.C., President Clinton shared his hopes for the program: "If our friends around the

world will join us ... for about $4

billion, we could provide a nutritious meal in school to every child

in every developing country in the

entire world." 

A National Summit on 

Nutrition

In May, Secretary Glickman and

Health and Human Services 

Secretary Donna Shalala hosted a

National Nutrition Summit in

Washington, D.C. The event

brought together scientists, policy

makers, grass-roots anti-hunger

activists, and others who care

about reducing hunger and

improving health through nutrition.

In doing so, the summit harkened

back to the historic 1969 White

House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health, which laid the

groundwork for the Federal antihunger safety net from healthy

school meals to the Women,

Infants and Children supplemental

food program. While lauding the

historic advances of the past 30

years, Secretary Glickman warned

against complacency amid a strong

economy. “The challenge ahead,”

Glickman said, “is addressing the

dual threats of persistent hunger

and growing obesity in America –

challenges with significant public

health implications for the Nation.”

The Secretary highlighted the

importance of community-based

anti-hunger efforts, called for more

effective communication of dietary

information to the American people, and announced mandatory

nutrition labeling for meat and

poultry, so consumers have the

same facts about these products as

they have for processed foods. The

Secretary also noted the need for

stronger outreach efforts to see

food stamps reach more people

who need them. In 2000, 10 million

low-income Americans who were

eligible for food stamps did not

receive them. Glickman also delved

into the sensitive issue of dietary

choices and announced the

creation of a USDA Behavioral

Nutrition Initiative to harness

USDA’s extensive research capabilities to explore how and why people make their food and exercise

choices, and what USDA can do to

encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles.

The Great Nutrition Debate

Atkins or The Zone? No pasta or

no pork? Americans are pulled

every which way by the growing

popularity of fad diets and nutrition gurus with best-selling books

detailing the latest rage in diet regimens for “losing weight and feeling great.” In February, USDA

hosted a lively panel of popular

diet authors and leading nutritionists to clear the air, explore some

of the themes of popular diets and

analyze their scientific basis. Given

Secretary Glickman at the Great Nutrition Debate.

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala,

former Kansas Senator Bob Dole, and former 

South Dakota Senator George McGovern join 

Secretary Glickman at the National Nutrition Summit.
13

that the body of scientific evidence

supports a balanced diet and physical exercise, Glickman expressed

concern that so many Americans

were making food choices based on

theories, myths, and inadequate

research. If there was any consensus among the panel – which

ranged from internist Dean Ornish,

author of Eat More, Weigh Less, to

cardiologist Robert Atkins, creator

of the Atkins’ diet, to biochemist

Barry Sears, co-author of The Zone

– it was the need for more

answers. In response, Secretary

Glickman directed USDA’s Human

Nutrition Research Centers to

embark on a coordinated research

program to examine the effects of

popular weight-loss diets. The

endeavor will summarize existing

literature and study the health and

nutrition effects of the most popular diets.

Eat Smart, Play Hard

In July, Secretary Glickman

launched the "Eat Smart, Play

Hard" campaign – a national effort

designed to convey science-based,

behavior-focused motivational

messages about healthy eating and

physical activity to children and

their caregivers. The messages are

based on the healthy eating principles outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food

Guide Pyramid. The campaign's

"spokes-character" is the great

purple Power Panther, a cool cat

that encourages kids to eat healthy

and stay active. The campaign

works to motivate school-aged

children and their caregivers to

make positive changes in their eating and exercise habits in order to

improve their long-term health and

reduce their risk of obesity and

other diet-related diseases.

Encouraging Healthy Meals at

School

With new research indicating that

students across the country are

flunking when it comes to healthy

eating habits, USDA formed multiple partnerships in 2000 to foster

school environments that encourage healthy food choices. First,

USDA and a coalition of five medical associations developed a Prescription for Change: Ten Keys to

Promote Healthy Eating in Schools.

This document covered concepts

ranging from ensuring children

have adequate time for their lunch

break to encouraging schools to

make decisions on what food they

sell on campus based on its nutritional value, rather than its profit

value. USDA also invited 17 national health and education organizations to get involved. These

partners helped develop the Changing the Scene: Improving the School

Nutrition Environment kit, which

provides practical tips on how to

create healthy school

environments. This kit will be distributed to schools across the

country. These efforts are especially important in light of recent scientific evidence that reveals that a

mere 2 percent of America’s youth

regularly eat a balanced, healthy

diet.

A Food Guide Pyramid for Kids 

USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid is one

of the most recognizable icons in

America. To engrain healthy eating

habits at an early age, USDA in

2000 developed a Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children. Developed

by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the "children’s

pyramid" was released in March by

Secretary Glickman and Shirley

Watkins, Under Secretary for Food,

Nutrition, and Consumer Services,

at the National Capitol Children's

Museum. The pyramid simplifies

healthy eating messages and

focuses on children's food preferSecretary Glickman eats a school lunch and

gets feedback from a student.

Secretary Glickman announces the first-ever

Federal Government food guidelines for

young children.
14

ences and nutritional requirements.

In May, Secretary Glickman

announced a partnership between

USDA, 11 national food companies,

and a parenting magazine to use

the new pyramid to promote nutrition and health among youth. The

pyramid was featured in national

magazines and was promoted on a

popular children's cereal box and

on yogurt containers. In partnership with USDA, the American

Academy of Pediatrics distributed a

poster of the children's pyramid to

62,000 pediatricians nationwide. 

Promoting Grass-Roots 

Anti-Hunger Efforts

In the year and a half since it was

launched, USDA’s Community Food

Security Initiative has achieved

tremendous success in building

innovative public/private partnerships to help reduce hunger across

America. Without hiring a single

Federal employee, the Initiative

has: recovered more than 10 million pounds of wholesome, excess

food for donation to hungry families; forged a partnership to use

computer technology to better

match companies donating food

with non-profit organizations that

feed the hungry; helped start a

national program to convert school

cafeterias into "community

kitchens," which combine food rescue with job training; and

produced a Community Food Security Resource Kit. In 1996,

President Clinton directed USDA to

lead a Federal effort to work with

nonprofit anti-hunger groups to

increase the recovery and gleaning

of excess food for distribution to

the hungry. In typical Clinton-Gore

reinventing government fashion,

USDA tackles this responsibility not

by creating a new Federal bureaucracy, but by encouraging and

energizing grass-roots food recovery and gleaning efforts across the

country. This approach recognizes

the fact that neither the Federal

Government nor communities can,

on their own, solve the large and

complex problem of hunger. For far

too long, many government programs worked in isolation from

communities. Likewise, community-led efforts frequently were disconnected from government

resources. Thanks to this initiative,

all parties who are committed to

ending hunger in America are

working more closely together.

Food Stamp Public Information

Campaign

Participation in USDA’s Food Stamp

Program has declined nearly 40

percent over the past 6 years,

while the number of people living

in poverty has dropped only 20

percent. It is estimated that food

stamps only reach about 60 percent of those who are eligible for

this vital benefit that is a cornerstone of the Federal anti-hunger

safety net. To ensure the program

reaches all who are eligible and in

need, USDA launched a national

public information campaign in

2000. The campaign targets four

key audiences: the general public,

the elderly, working poor families,

and households containing immigrants. USDA’s Food and Nutrition

Service produced brochures,

posters, and flyers targeting each

group. They also established a

national toll-free hotline to provide

information on food stamps. All of

these efforts are offered in English

and in Spanish. 

President Clinton and Secretary Glickman at the Capitol

Area Foodbank in Washington, DC.
15

A Closer Look at Changing

Dietary Behavior

Secretary Glickman announced a

series of actions in November to

help challenge all Americans to

dramatically improve their eating

habits. Glickman announced a new

Behavioral Nutrition Research 

Initiative, bringing together USDA

researchers, the academic community, and the private sector to

explore America’s food choices.

The Secretary also announced that

the Department would begin in the

spring of 2001 a nutrition intervention pilot program in the Mississippi Delta to focus on improving

diet-related health problems in the

poorest region of the country.

Glickman also unveiled a new

Interactive Healthy Eating Index,

an easy-to-use tool that allows

consumers to analyze their own

diets and get tailored feedback via

the Internet.

Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans

The 5th edition of Nutrition and

Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for

Americans was released in May.

The dietary guidelines, revised

jointly every 5 years by USDA and

the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, provide the basis

for Federal nutrition policy and for

nutrition education activities

across the country. The 2000 revision included for the first time a

focus on food safety, placing particular emphasis on safe food

preparation in the home. To

expand awareness of the

guidelines, a consumer-friendly

brochure, Using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, was released in

September. This easy-to-read publication focuses on turning the

guidelines into action by offering

tips that consumers can use to

improve their food choices. 
16

Operation Talon Arrests Climb

Operation Talon was designed in

1996 by USDA’s Office of Inspector

General to apprehend fugitive

felons, many of them violent

offenders, who were running from

the law, yet still attempting to

receive food stamp benefits. As of

September 30, Operation Talon

delivered 6,733 fugitives to justice.

Serious crimes perpetrated by

those arrested included murder,

child molestation, rape,

kidnapping, assault, robbery, and

drug dealing.

Operation "Kiddie Care"

Guards Tax Dollars

The USDA Inspector General’s

nationwide effort to identify,

remove, and prosecute unscrupulous sponsors from the Child and

Adult Care Food Program continued

its record of success in 2000. The

office also worked closely with

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service

to recommend needed regulatory

and legislative changes to the program to prevent future abuse. As a

result of this rigorous enforcement

and oversight, 29 sponsors who

received nearly $53 million annually in taxpayer dollars were kicked

out of the program, and 51 individuals pled guilty or were convicted

of illegal activities.
17

Protecting Our Natural Resources and 

the Environment

America’s strength is rooted in

productive soil which

protects us from famine,

clean air and water that guard our

health, and healthy forests that

provide economic benefits as well

as less tangible "commodities,"

from a silent hike among towering

trees to a fishing expedition.

By protecting America’s last vestiges of wildness and guarding the

natural abundance and health of

our environment, we protect our

civilization–now and for

generations to come. The growing

national emphasis on sustainability

is reflected in the evolution of

USDA’s conservation and forestry

programs. These evolutions were

fueled by the vision of a sustainable

future that is one of the hallmarks

of the Clinton-Gore Administration.

This vision has driven USDA in

recent years to develop innovative,

locally led partnerships that involve

all stakeholders in protecting their

environment and reaping sustainable economic benefits. The success of these endeavors can be

seen from the forest communities of

the Pacific Northwest where timber

and environmental interests came

together to the Chesapeake Bay

where farmers and other local residents and government agencies are

working together to improve the

storied bay’s health.

Thanks to the leadership of Secretary Glickman and President Clinton, the 1996 Farm Bill made an

historic contribution to the environment by providing billions of dollars

in financial incentives to farmers

and ranchers who want to do right

by the Nation’s land, water, air and

wildlife habitat. This leadership

also has led to the permanent protection of the last untouched areas

of our national forests – from preserving the giant redwoods in the

Sierra Nevada to guarding the pristine nature of the last remaining

acres of national forest unscarred

by man-made roads.

Safeguarding the productive capacity of America’s natural resources

and protecting and enhancing the

Nation’s environment are some of

any Administration’s most important responsibilities. Thanks to the

work at USDA, President Clinton

and Vice President Gore leave a

legacy worthy of our children – a

Nation that proved by example that

it can have a strong economy and

a productive agriculture without

sacrificing the needs of future generations. 

Taming Wildfires

The year 2000 was one of the

worst fire seasons in recent history,

as dozens of blazes in California,

Colorado, Idaho, Arizona, and

other Western States devoured millions of acres– claiming homes,

wildlife, property, and lives. USDA

firefighters were part of a massive

15,000-person effort to bring the

wildfires under control. In September, USDA and the U.S. Department

of the Interior jointly released a

report prepared at President Clinton’s request, Managing the Impact

of Wildfires on Communities and the

Environment. The report

recommends more than doubling

the amount of resources committed

to fire preparedness, fire suppression, and burned area restoration.

The key points raised in the report

were: the necessity of committing

adequate resources, the need to

restore landscapes and rebuild

communities, the urgent need to

invest in projects to reduce fire risk

across the country, the value of

working closely with local commuSecretary Glickman meets with firefighters.
18

nities, and the need for greater

accountability for translating these

recommendations into reinvigorated

efforts.

A Bigger Carrot for FarmerConservationists

In April, Secretary Glickman

announced that landowners can

receive more money for participation in the Conservation Reserve

Program continuous sign-up, which

protects environmentally sensitive

land along streams, rivers, and

wetlands. The new financial incentives – totaling up to $350 million

in the next 3 years – include signing bonuses and more money for

installing and maintaining vital

conservation practices. Unlike the

regular Conservation Reserve Program, the continuous sign-up effort

allows producers to enroll the most

environmentally sensitive land at

any time and without competing

against other offers. The enhancements are one piece of the ClintonGore plan to strengthen the farm

safety net. A major goal of the program also is to help reduce agricultural pollution into the Nation’s

waterways.

Conservation Buffer Initiative

Nears Million Mile Mark 

The Clinton Administration’s effort

to install conservation buffers

across the country to protect the

health of America’s waterways

involves nearly 100 partners,

including State conservation agencies, conservation districts,

agribusiness, and agricultural and

environmental organizations. By

2000, landowners had installed

nearly 1 million miles of conservation buffers, thanks in no small part

to USDA technical assistance, costshare programs, and other conservation programs that were

reinvigorated by the Clinton Administration. These buffers dramatically

improve soil, water, and air quality;

enhance wildlife habitat; restore

biodiversity; and create scenic

landscapes.

Forest Service Moves to Protect

Roadless Areas

In May, Secretary Glickman

proposed banning new road construction on millions of acres of the

last large expanses of pristine

national forest left in the United

States. By November, the USDA

Forest Service had received 1.6 million comments from Americans

interested in the proposal. At that

time, the Forest Service presented

Secretary Glickman with a plan to

protect nearly 60 million acres of

roadless areas – barring most road

construction in these areas, as well

as prohibiting timber harvesting

except for defined stewardship purposes. "As we lose more and more

open space to sprawl and development, Americans increasingly turn

to our national forests to

experience and enjoy our shared

natural landscape," Glickman said.

"Preventing road building in these

areas is an essential step toward

preserving and protecting these

wildlands for the future."

President Clinton Creates

Sequoia National Monument

No photograph or second-hand

account can convey the

magnificence of the giant sequoias.

They must be seen to be believed.

They are the largest living things on

the face of the earth, some stretching 30 feet in diameter and climbing as high as the Statue of

Liberty’s torch. Only a handful of

groves remain in the world – all of

them are located on the western

slope of the Sierra Nevada. On April

15, 2000, President Clinton set

aside 328,000 acres as a national

monument that would ensure the

permanent survival of these ancient

giants, some of them more than

300 years old. While there are

some existing protections for giant

sequoias, no protection existed for

the surrounding sub-watersheds on

which the trees depend, or in areas

where the risk of fire to sequoia

Secretary Glickman and staff members visit

the Tongass National Forest outside of

Juneau, Alaska.

President Clinton announces his Roadless

Initiative at George Washington National

Forest in Virginia.
19

groves must be controlled. As a

national monument, the USDA Forest Service will focus its efforts on

preservation of the groves and their

surrounding ecosystems. 

Cherishing the Chesapeake

USDA added a new State to its

growing partnership to use the

Department’s Conservation Reserve

Enhancement Program (CREP) to

protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Through this program, USDA pays

farmers and other landowners to

plant tree and grass buffers and

restore wetlands along rivers and

waterways. As a result of these

efforts, nearly 60 percent of the

bay’s shoreline is now buffered,

reducing runoff and improving

water quality and wildlife habitat.

USDA entered into a $210-million

15-year partnership with Pennsylvania in 2000, adding the State to

the growing list of States working

to improve the Chesapeake Bay.

The partnership taps the resources

of the CREP to encourage landowners to establish buffers and other

critical conservation practices on

highly environmentally sensitive

land along streams and rivers that

feed the bay. In addition to

enhancing water quality, this new

vegetation also provides habitat for

many species of wildlife. Maryland,

Virginia, and Delaware already

have CREP agreements in place to

help preserve the bay. In the past

year, USDA also awarded a $1.3

million grant to establish the

Potomac River Partnership, a public-private effort that joins the

USDA Forest Service, Maryland,

Virginia, and Ducks Unlimited to

further enhance restoration efforts.

Protecting Farm and Forest

Lands From Development

Over half of America’s counties are

concerned about the loss of farmland to expected growth, according

to a recent General Accounting

Office report. Another 61 percent

express concern for loss of wildlife

habitat and environmentally sensitive lands. Well over 50 percent of

the counties are concerned about

unsightly commercial development,

traffic congestion, and pollution as

they plan for their community’s

future. In response to a charge from

the White House Task Force on Livable Communities, USDA created a

Policy Advisory Committee on

Farmland Preservation and Land

Use. The committee held listening

sessions across the country and is

preparing a report that assesses the

economic, environmental, and

social consequences of farm and

forest lands lost to development and

recommends ways Federal agencies

can help communities protect farm

and forest lands, reduce sprawl,

and maintain the character of rural

areas. 

Bette Midler joins Secretary Glickman on a

canoe ride on the Bronx River to promote

water restoration.

Secretary Glickman joined late Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan to

announce an $85 million Federal-State partnership to protect

Missouri’s water and environment.
20

The Green Millennium

Working in partnership with the

White House Millennium Council,

USDA launched Millennium

Green–an effort to encourage people across the Nation to plant or

adopt a tree, establish a community garden, and/or care for a special

natural resource treasure in honor

of the new millennium and in an

effort to create a healthier, more

livable environment. The initiative

has brought together a wide coalition of citizens, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies.

The goal is to plant 1 million trees,

cultivate thousands of gardens, and

recognize historic trees that have

played a significant role in our

country’s past and that continue to

thrive into our future. Participants

are encouraged to share the bounty

of their "millennium gardens" with

community food kitchens and to

practice sustainable agriculture. In

December 1999, Mrs. Clinton

joined Secretary Glickman for a

tree planting ceremony at USDA

headquarters. There, she said,

"every time we plant a tree, we

leave embedded in its roots the

story of who we are as a people

and as a Nation—and who we

want to be."

Tree planting ceremony in front of USDA’s Whitten Building includes: Energy Secretary

Bill Richardson, Education Secretary Richard Riley, DC Mayor Tony Williams, Secretary

Glickman, a student volunteer from Birney Elementary School, and First Lady Hillary

Clinton.

Deputy Secretary Rominger at Millennium

Green event.

First Lady Hillary Clinton at USDA.
21

I

t always has been the core belief

of this country that anyone who

works hard and plays by the

rules can build a bright future in

this Nation. While this has never

been more true than it is today in

our cities and suburbs, too often

the rural American dream remains

just that – a dream.

Despite the tremendous progress

and economic growth our Nation

has enjoyed, more than 200 rural

counties had poverty rates over 30

percent in 1990. Some 20 percent

of Americans reside in rural communities. The Clinton Administration understands that for the

Nation to thrive in a new century,

it cannot leave one-fifth of its people behind. For this reason, USDA’s

rural development work under the

leadership of two sons of rural

America – President Clinton and

Vice President Gore – focused on

expanding job opportunities,

improving the rural standard of living, and better serving persistent

poverty areas. By focusing on not

only building but diversifying rural

economies, USDA also worked to

stem the rising tide of out-migration that is draining young people

– and with them, the future – from

America’s rural towns. 

Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, USDA established Empowerment Zones and Enterprise

Communities in the poorest rural

areas. These efforts operate from

the belief that communities, if

given the proper support, can build

for themselves a brighter future

through a strategy tailored to their

specific needs. With rising employment, new business creation, and

improved quality of life in these

areas, this vision of local economic

leadership, supported by Federal

programs, has proven an innovative

and revolutionary success.

From seeing rural homeownership

reach record levels to completing

the connection of more than half a

million people’s homes to safe,

running water for the first time, to

bringing 21st century information

opportunities to rural communities,

this Administration’s work in 2000

was a proud reflection of the energy, commitment, and innovative

spirit that President Clinton and

Vice President Gore brought to the

White House 8 years ago. By working to see all of our communities

have the chance to share in the

country’s economic growth, their

leadership ensures that the future

shines brighter for all Americans,

thanks to expanded opportunities

in rural America. 

Rural Homeownership Reaches

Record High

In June 2000, during National

Homeownership Week, USDA

announced that rural homeownership in the United States reached

75.4 percent – a new record high –

in the prior year. These homeownership rates outpace overall national homeownership rates of 66.8

percent, and reflect a major goal of

the Clinton Administration to see

more Americans live their dream of

home ownership. The positive

numbers also are a shining symbol

of the real-world benefits of the

Nation’s historic economic expansion. A key piece of this rural

homeownership drive has been

USDA’s Rural Home Loan Partnership Initiative, which since 1996

has provided more than $50 million

to help 1,100 rural families attain

the American dream of homeownership. 

Reviving the Rural American Dream

Vice President Gore, President Clinton, and

Secretary Glickman at the National Rural

Conference in Ames, Iowa. 
22

Rural Empowerment Efforts

Top $1 Billion in Investments

In March 2000, Secretary Glickman

announced that President Clinton

and Vice President Gore’s Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community initiative has brought more

than $1 billion in investments during the past 5 years to some of the

Nation’s most economically

depressed rural areas. The initiative has empowered rural residents

to draw up economic development

programs that are tailored to the

specific needs of their community.

As a result of these efforts, nearly

11,000 rural jobs were created or

saved; 854 new businesses

expanded or were attracted to this

initiative; nearly 12,000 individuals

and businesses were assisted

through business development and

job-training efforts; and 513 new

electric, gas, or water/drainage

hook-ups were completed. The initial seed grants of only $119 million

in the 57 rural communities were

multiplied more than eight times.

Most of the rural areas assisted are

concentrated in Appalachia, the

South, and on Indian reservations.

They had poverty rates of 25 to 35

percent when selected for the programs. Speaking in June at a White

House Empowerment Conference in

Columbus, Ohio, Secretary Glickman lauded the unique effort. "It

combines the best of market-based

solutions and government

activism," he said. "Instead of leaving people exclusively at the mercy

of the marketplace, and instead of

creating a top-down government

program for every problem, the

Vice President has found a new

way, where the government serves

as a partner and catalyst to

encourage locally led, private

growth."

Water 2000 Reaches 380,000

More Rural Residents

In July 2000, USDA provided more

than $226 million to improve

drinking water and wastewater

service in America’s rural areas.

These funds, a combination of

grants and loans, will benefit

380,000 rural residents through 113

projects in 41 States. "It is simply

unacceptable that at the start of

the 21st century, there are Americans who have to haul their water

from open wells and streams and

boil it to make it safe to drink,"

Secretary Glickman said. The Clinton-Gore Administration launched

the Water 2000 initiative in August

1994 to address the problem of

inadequate drinking water quality

and dependability in many rural

areas. Approximately 2 million

rural Americans have critical drinking water problems. This includes

about 690,000 people with no running water at all in their homes,

down significantly from an estimated 1.1 million people without water

in 1990.

50th Anniversary of the Rural

Telecommunications Program

USDA observed the 50th anniversary of USDA’s rural telecommunications program by awarding

almost $13 million in distance

learning and telemedicine grants to

rural areas across the country. The

distance learning funds will provide

students in rural schools with the

opportunity to take college

preparatory classes taught by

instructors located miles away. The

telemedicine grants allow patients

in rural clinics to be examined by

medical specialists in distant locations. The event commemorated

the historic legacy of the program,

bringing telephone service to rural

communities, as well as the Clinton

Administration’s emphasis on connecting rural communities with the

opportunities of the Information

Age. At the event, Glickman interacted on a live video link with students in the rural Towanda School

District in northeastern Pennsylvania, where a distance learning program was launched in 1994 with

the help of a USDA grant. The projUnder Secretary for Rural Development Jill

Long-Thompson and Secretary Glickman

help volunteers build a house on The

National Mall to promote expanded home

ownership through "sweat equity." 
23

ect initially involved six rural

schools. Now, it includes 300

schools in 7 States, as well as 20

museums and 16 colleges and universities. More than 25,000

students and 5,000 teachers now

benefit from expanded learning

opportunities, thanks to this program. Since the rural telecommunications program was established,

$11 billion in loans and grants have

brought more than 1 million miles

of phones lines and thousands of

miles of fiber optic cable to rural

areas.

USDA Electrifies Countryside

In a ceremony celebrating the 65th

anniversary of the signing of the

Rural Electrification Act, Secretary

Dan Glickman awarded $354.4 million in loans to help improve electrical service in rural areas. This

put the annual total of loans at $1

billion to provide new or improved

electric service to more than

149,000 rural Americans. Nearly

half of all electric lines in the United States were financed thanks to

programs authorized by this Act.

"Bringing modern electrical service

to rural America was one of the

Nation’s most important achievements of the 20th century," Secretary Glickman said. "The challenge

for the 21st century is to ensure

that America’s rural utility infrastructure keeps pace with increasing demand of rural power users." 

Secretary Glickman speaks during a National

Home Ownership Week event in Maryland.

Empowerment Zone and Enterprise 

Community Initiative Payoff

$1 billion Invested over 5 years

11,000 Rural jobs created or saved

12,000 Individual/businesses assisted

513 New electric, gas, water/drainage hookups
24

P

resident Clinton brought with

him to Washington a

passionate commitment to

encouraging racial healing in

America. No Department presented

a greater opportunity to turn those

ideals into action than USDA. With

its history of ill treatment of minority and female customers and

employees, President Clinton’s

USDA faced the formidable challenge of not just healing the past,

but building a future in which

USDA could be a Federal leader on

civil rights.

From the historic settlement that

offered reparations to thousands of

African-American farmers who lost

their land to alleged discrimination

to the wave of reforms that

emanated from the hard work of

Secretary Glickman’s Civil Rights

Action Team, USDA over the past 8

years has provided a model to

other government agencies, to the

corporate world, and to all who

would take on the important task

of changing the world by improving

their little corner of the world.

The accomplishments of the past

year carry on the civil rights movement at USDA. From a new partnership to help preserve

African-American farms to establishing diversity councils that offer

greater representation to minority

employees, to getting to the bottom

of what’s going on in areas of the

Department with persistent civil

rights problems, this Administration is working hard to institutionalize the progress of the past 8

years and leave to the future a true

"people’s department."

Civil Rights Progress 

Accelerates

Four years after launching a major

civil rights initiative, USDA is making progress. Participation of

minorities and women in farm programs has increased dramatically.

All employees are receiving civil

rights and diversity training.

USDA’s Office of Civil Rights has

conducted reviews of proposed

agency regulations to identify and

address civil rights impacts on

minorities, women, and persons

with disabilities. Contracts with

socially disadvantaged, minority,

and women-owned firms have

more than doubled. Most USDA

agencies have undertaken rigorous

equal employment opportunity

compliance reviews. In addition,

the Secretary has hired independent contractors to conduct

accountability reviews of certain

agencies and locations with a high

volume of complaints and to report

on the root causes. Lastly, the

Department streamlined

procedures to allow agencies to

take quick disciplinary actions

against employees who discriminate against or harass USDA customers or employees.

Preserving African-American

Family Farms

The Secretary took an important

step in healing the Department’s

past civil rights wrongs and protecting a vital part of the American

farm heritage by supporting the

creation of a foundation for the

preservation of the African-American family farm. Plans call for the

Village Foundation and its financial

A New Era of Civil Rights

Secretary Glickman speaks to USDA employees.
25

partner, the Rayne Bank of Canada,

to have a board composed of

African-American farmers. Creation

of a $250-million endowment will

provide financial and technical

assistance to help African-American farmers hold on to their family

land. Formation of the foundation

fulfills a key outreach and technical

assistance commitment agreed to

by USDA as part of the historic settlement of the class action lawsuit

brought by African-American farmers after decades of alleged

discrimination at the hands of

USDA. African-American farms

today are disappearing at a rate

three times faster than farm losses

overall. 

New Diversity Councils Offer

Perspective

In June, Secretary Glickman

announced the formation of five

employee advisory councils to help

guide the Department’s civil rights

efforts. Adding to the alreadyestablished Hispanic Advisory

Council and the Advisory Committee for Employees with Disabilities,

the Secretary created councils for

African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Native

Americans, women, and gays and

lesbians. Two representatives from

each council will serve on a diversity council that advises the Secretary on civil rights matters. These

councils create a formal channel

for each group of employees to

provide advice to the Secretary,

and for the Secretary to make decisions that take into account the

perspectives of these groups. 

More Jobs for People with 

Disabilities

"The unemployment rate for adults

with disabilities is unacceptably

high,” President Clinton said in

March. “We cannot afford to lose

any opportunities for this segment

of our population." USDA responded by setting a new Department

record in creating jobs for people

with disabilities. In 1992, USDA

acquired $2 million in goods and

services to accommodate employees with disabilities, resulting in no

more than 30 full-time hires. By

2000, that total rose to more than

$27 million, resulting in 300 or

more jobs. With new initiatives

already in place, USDA should

exceed $30 million in 2001. As a

result of these and other efforts,

USDA developed an aggressive

plan to hire 9,000 employees with

disabilities over the next 5 years.

Hispanic Recruitment

In 2000, USDA developed a coordinated recruitment strategy to

address the under-representation

of Hispanics in the USDA

workforce. The Department held

two leadership summits to meet

with national Hispanic organizations and forge partnerships in

recruiting outstanding Hispanic

candidates. As a result, Hispanic

representation in USDA increased

from 4.8 percent of the permanent

workforce in 1999 to 5.44 percent

of the permanent workforce in

2000. 

Quick, Fair Conflict Prevention

and Resolution

In its second year, USDA’s Conflict

Prevention and Resolution Center

took significant steps to transform

the Department’s culture into one

that places greater emphasis on

prevention and early resolution of

conflicts. As a result, alternative

dispute resolution usage increased

at USDA in 2000. To further

emphasize the importance of this

Deputy Secretary Rominger speaks to Native

Americans at the Pine Ridge Youth Wellness

and Opportunity Center in South Dakota

during a ground blessing ceremony.
26

approach, Secretary Glickman

issued a comprehensive alternative

dispute resolution policy, covering

program and workplace disputes.

The Center produced "A Better

Way," an 18-minute video

introduction to mediation. The Center also sponsored the first National

Mediator Training Conference for

more than 100 USDA employee

mediators and began conflict management training for USDA

managers.

Reaching Out to Small

Businesses

USDA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization sponsored two studies to identify

barriers that impact the Hispanic

and Native American business

communities’ ability to successfully

compete for contracts. As a result,

the Office began an aggressive outreach campaign and has since

counseled more than 1,000 small,

disadvantaged, and women-owned

businesses. In March, USDA signed

a Memorandum of Understanding

with the Small Business Administration to begin a Mentor Protégé

Program, which will create opportunities for socially disadvantaged

8(a) firms to collaborate with large

companies and acquire skills that

will improve their ability to compete successfully for future

contracts.

Secretary Glickman at one of the Civil Rights

Listening Sessions.
27

Afundamental function of government is to protect peoplein ways they cannot protect

themselves, like USDA protects

families from the invisible

pathogens that can exist in our

food. While the United States has

among the safest food in the world,

the country has not advanced to

the point where we can eliminate

foodborne illness. 

Shortly after President Clinton first

took the oath of office, the Nation

received a painful reminder of this

reality when 4 children died and

more than 700 were sickened by

eating hamburgers contaminated

with the now-infamous E. coli

0157:H7 pathogen. This tragedy

galvanized the Nation around the

Clinton Administration’s efforts to

overhaul a 100-year-old meat and

poultry inspection system to reflect

modern science-based methods.

USDA’s food marketing and food

inspection duties were separated,

and the Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety was created. 

This effort delivered the single

most important advance in food

safety since President Theodore

Roosevelt enacted the Nation’s first

meat inspection laws. By replacing

a largely sight-touch-and-smell

inspection system with a modern

approach that uses scientific tests

to detect invisible pathogens in our

food, the Clinton Administration

successfully shifted the focus of the

Nation’s inspections from merely

detecting contamination after the

fact to closing the safety gaps that

cause it in the first place. According to data collected by USDA and

the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, the result has been

reduced foodborne illness and

saved lives. 

A crucial partner in the President’s

Council on Food Safety, USDA also

works closely with other Federal,

State, and local entities with food

safety responsibilities to ensure

one high safety standard for all

food in this country. The Department, under President Clinton and

Vice President Gore’s leadership,

also has been deeply committed to

strong consumer education efforts

that empower Americans with

basic principles they can use to

protect themselves and their families.

Progress in the year 2000 carries

on this important work–ensuring

industry meets a high bar for safety, arming consumers with information they can use to protect

their health, continuing a strong

commitment to using new

technologies to improve food safety, and working across agency

lines to make progress not just

with meat and poultry, but also

with egg safety. By improving the

safety of the Nation’s food, USDA

has made a significant contribution

to the quality of life of all Americans and countless people around

the world who place their trust and

faith in the U.S. Government to

ensure the food we feed our families is safe.

Safer Food for America’s Families
28

New Inspection System

Reduces Salmonella in Meat

and Poultry

On September 20, 2000, Secretary

Glickman reported continued

reductions in the prevalence of Salmonella in raw meat and poultry

products produced under USDA’s

new science-based inspection system. "The evidence is clear," Secretary Glickman said. "Our

science-based, prevention-oriented

food safety system is working. Salmonella is way down. Americans

continue to enjoy the safest food in

the world." USDA tests for Salmonella because it is a good indicator

of overall sanitary conditions at a

plant. Salmonella is also one of the

leading causes of foodborne illness.

The new data backed up 1999

findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

which noted a marked decline in

Salmonella and Campylobacter infections, two of the most common

causes of foodborne illness in the

United States. CDC officials, too,

credited USDA’s Hazard Analysis

and Critical Control Point systems

(HACCP) as a significant contributor to the reduced foodborne

illness.

USDA Launches Food

Thermometer Education 

Campaign

In May, USDA launched a national

consumer education campaign to

promote the use of food thermometers in kitchens and at backyard

barbeques across the country. The

campaign features a cartoon thermometer–"Thermy"– who

proclaims, "it’s safe to bite when

the temperature’s right." After

USDA research negated the

conventional wisdom that a brown

burger guarantees a safe burger,

the Department launched this campaign to emphasize that the best

way to ensure food has reached a

temperature high enough to destroy

harmful bacteria is through the use

of a food thermometer. According

to the USDA research, one out of

four hamburgers turns brown in the

middle before it reaches a safe

internal temperature. The new public education campaign includes a

televised public service announcement and informational materials

for consumers, educators, and

health professionals. A number of

grocery chains across the country

also are spreading the word and

helping take Thermy’s message to

families across the country.

Secretary Glickman, USDA Meat and Poultry

Hotline supervisor Bessie Berry, and Vice 

President Gore demonstrate how to test

grilled burgers for safety.

Hogs

Cows/Bulls

Steers/Heifers

Ground Beef

Ground Turkey

Broilers

Hogs

Cows/Bulls

Steers/Heifers

Ground Beef

Ground Turkey

Broilers

Salmonella in Retreat

0 10 20 30 40 50

0 10 20 30

Before HACCP (Percent Testing Positive)

After HACCP (Percent Testing Positive)

Meat

Meat
29

Approval of Irradiation for

Meat

On February 22, 2000, USDA began

permitting the use of irradiation on

raw meat products, such as ground

beef and steaks, to reduce significantly or eliminate E. coli 0157:H7

and other hazardous microorganisms. This latest step builds on the

Clinton Administration’s commitment to use modern science-based

methods to improve food safety.

USDA approved irradiation for pork

in 1986 and for raw, packaged

poultry in 1992. Irradiation is currently the only known method to

eliminate deadly E. coli 0157:H7

bacteria in raw meat. The technology also significantly reduces levels

of Listeria, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, which also are leading

causes of foodborne illness in the

United States. Ensuring consumer

choice, USDA requires irradiated

meat and poultry products to be

labeled accordingly. The use of

irradiation for pathogen reduction

has widespread support from

groups such as: the World Health

Organization, the American Dietetic

Association, the Food Irradiation

Coalition, the American Society of

Microbiology, the American Medical Association, and the Institute

of Food Technology.

Progress on Egg Safety

In a December 1999 radio address,

President Clinton announced a

comprehensive action plan to further improve the safety of eggs and

reduce by 50 percent Salmonellarelated illnesses in the United

States by 2005. Under the new

plan, egg producers and processors

will put in place one of two strategies to improve egg safety. The first

strategy requires rigorous on-farm

agricultural and sanitation

practices, extensive testing for Salmonella Enteriditis (SE), and diversion of eggs to pasteurization or

cooking to kill the bacteria if it is

found to be present. The second

strategy requires implementation of

new technologies to kill SE, such as

in-shell pasteurization, at the

packer stage of production. Three

public meetings were held during

2000 to discuss and gather public

comment on the action plan. The

plan was developed jointly by

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection

Service and the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration. Americans

consume an average of 234 eggs

per person per year. Only an estimated 1 in 20,000 U.S. eggs contain these bacteria. But that

translates into nearly 3.36 million

eggs annually, which puts many

people at risk. Final egg safety

standards are expected to be in

place by 2002.
30

Building a Healthy, Open, and Fair 

Farm Economy

Recognizing the difficult times

facing the Nation’s farmers

and ranchers due to record

global food and fiber production

and a series of natural disasters,

USDA was quick to look beyond

traditional farm support programs

for other ways to build additional

economic opportunities for farmers

and ranchers and to mitigate risks

that drained the farm economy of

billions of dollars each year. 

Through strong marketing and regulatory programs, this Administration waged war on invasive

species, developed the first national standards for organic agriculture, eradicated devastating

livestock diseases, and promoted

fair and open markets that benefit

all Americans–from small farmers

and ranchers to consumers who

want to make choices at the grocery store. Many of these efforts

were massive, years-long

campaigns. Many, also, came to

fruition in the year 2000, leaving

as another Clinton-Gore legacy a

more healthy, fair, and open U.S.

agricultural sector that will benefit

America’s farmers and ranchers,

as well as all of their customers,

for years to come.

Strong Standards Benefit

Farmers & Consumers of 

Organic Food

In December 2000, Secretary

Glickman announced a final rule

for uniform and consistent national standards for organic food.

These standards are the result of

the careful analysis of more than

275,000 comments USDA received

in response to its initial 1997

organic proposal. As a result, it

delivers precisely what organic

farmers and consumers made clear

they wanted most – the most comprehensive and strongest organic

standard in the world. Currently,

organic food is certified by a patchwork of private and State organizations that each have their own

standard. The USDA standards will

ensure a high, consistent national

definition for what can be marketed

as "organic." These standards

detail the methods, practices, and

substances that can be used in

producing and handling organic

crops and livestock, as well as

processed products. They also

establish clear labeling criteria, so

consumers know exactly what they

are buying when they purchase

organic food. By establishing

national organic standards, the

Clinton Administration is smoothing

the way for even more growth in

organic agriculture and furthering

the development of another promising new market for America’s

farmers. 

A New Advisory Committee on

Biotechnology

Because of the extraordinary power

and potential of biotechnology in

agriculture and the many questions

the public has about it, Secretary

Glickman in February 2000 set up

an Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology to provide

input on the broad social, scientific,

and economic issues pertaining to

this field. The committee is made

up of experts from academia,

industry, public interest groups,

and the Federal Government. This

committee is the only government

entity to provide a regular public

forum for biotechnology issues. At

its first meeting, Secretary

Glickman sought committee input

on a number of key themes related

to biotechnology. The themes

ranged from how to increase transparency in biotechnology regulation to how to responsibly address

concerns regarding consolidation in

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and Secretary

Glickman announce USDA’s final rule on

organic standards.
31

the biotechnology industry, to how

best to achieve the greatest social

benefit from USDA biotechnology

investments. "Agricultural biotechnology will have a tremendous

impact not only on our food choices, but in the way we produce our

food, on our natural resources, on

trade policy, and on other

disciplines like medicine," Secretary

Glickman told the committee. 

"I wanted to tap a broad range of

expertise. And, I wanted a group of

people who would look beyond the

science and explore the effects of

this new discipline wherever it

might be felt."

Strengthening Consumer

Choice

As part of the Administration’s

efforts to improve consumer access

to information on biotechnology,

USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers

and Stockyards Administration

(GIPSA) in 2000 began establishing

a laboratory in Kansas City, Missouri, that would evaluate testing

procedures and accredit independent testing labs that meet high performance standards. 

In addition, GIPSA will evaluate

test kits against the manufacturer’s

performance specifications for

determining the presence of

biotechnology-derived grains in

bulk grain to ensure that these

tests are accurate and reliable.

Seeking Public Views 

on USDA’s Role in the 

Biotechnology Marketplace

In November 2000, USDA also took

the step of soliciting public comment from all interested parties on

what, if any, additional steps USDA

should take to facilitate the marketing of genetically modified crops.

This was another example of

USDA’s commitment to an open

and transparent approach to

biotechnology policy because the

Department went beyond its statutory obligation to solicit public

comments on its proposals.

Instead, it offered the public the

chance to weigh in before regulations were even drafted.

Ensuring a Strong Regulatory

System for Biotechnology

Along with the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency and the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration,

USDA works to ensure that bioengineered products—primarily

new plants and plant products,

many of which are engineered for

herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, or disease resistance—will

not harm agriculture, the environment, or human health. Since 1993,

USDA has overseen the safe development, testing, and approval of

more than 50 new genetically engineered products. To ensure the

thoroughness of its scientific decision-making, USDA contracted with

the National Academy of Sciences

to conduct a thorough review of the

agency’s methodologies, identify

any potential gaps, and recommend

any needed changes to ensure a

continued high review standard. 

Secretary Glickman and President Clinton

meet with farm co-op tomato growers in

Arkansas. 
32

Alien Invasion: The U.S. Tour

In March, Secretary Glickman

embarked on a national tour to

highlight the risks posed by invasive pests and diseases. Among the

many stops, the Secretary visited a

park in New York City where 31

trees were destroyed due to the

Asian long-horned beetle. Glickman

also stood with a lime farmer in

Florida and watched while his grove

was burned to kill citrus canker.

Following the tour, the Secretary

prepared a report on invasive

species that forcefully recommended that the Federal Government

invest additional resources to

increase the protection of agricultural resources and native ecosystems from these devastating alien

invaders. In the 1999-2000 period,

Secretary Glickman declared no less

than 11 invasive species emergencies and used his authority to

release well over $200 million in

emergency funding. 

Mandatory Livestock Price

Reporting

In a move to help level the playing

field for small livestock producers,

Secretary Glickman in November

announced that major livestock

packers, processors, and importers

would be required to report pricing

details to USDA. This mandatory

reporting system will provide all

players in the livestock markets

with more comprehensive information than was ever collected under

the prior voluntary reporting system. Glickman, along with key agricultural leaders in Congress, believe

that the new system will help

ensure a more fair shake at market

for small and medium-sized

livestock operators. "We need to

ensure that small farmers and

ranchers have a full and fair opportunity to compete in an increasingly

concentrated agricultural economy,"

said Glickman. "This new mandatory price reporting program will help

producers by making the market

more transparent, giving them better information about what’s happening in the marketplace."

Progress Against Pests and

Disease

In 2000, thanks to the hard work of

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service and its many

partners, bovine tuberculosis (TB)

was eradicated from California and

Pennsylvania, bringing the total

number of States free from bovine

TB to 47. To help rid the Nation of

the few small pockets where bovine

TB remains, USDA developed a

comprehensive strategic bovine TB

eradication plan. Also in 2000, a

cooperative State-Federal effort

successfully eradicated bovine brucellosis from Louisiana, raising the

total number of States to 45 that

are now brucellosis-free. USDA also

helped halt the spread of plum

pox—a serious disease of stone

fruit never before found in the United States—after it was detected in

Pennsylvania. A national survey in

March 2000 found no sign of plum

pox outside of Pennsylvania. Following a declaration of extraordinary emergency, USDA used a

variety of measures to prevent the

spread of the disease, including

destroying infected and exposed

stone fruit trees and paying compensation to growers. Other pest

and disease programs dealt with

pseudorabies, citrus canker, Medfly,

Pierce’s disease, rabies, and

scrapie. 

Secretary Glickman holds an Asian long-horned beetle,

which was first found infesting trees in New York in

1996.
33

Federal Milk Marketing 

Order Reform

USDA started the new millennium

by carrying out a much-needed

reform of the 60-year-old Federal

Milk Marketing Order System. On

January 1, 2000, USDA consolidated the Nation’s 33 milk marketing

areas into 11. This move capped off

a 3-year process, ordered by Congress, to wade into one of the most

divisive issues in U.S. agriculture.

Completion of this project was a

significant accomplishment for

USDA, especially in light of the

complexity of the program and divisiveness and hardship that existed

in the dairy industry. USDA demonstrated unprecedented initiative and

leadership in proposing a more

streamlined, efficient, and marketoriented program.

Bringing More Food Dollars to

Small Farmers

Building on the success of 1998's

farm-to-school pilot project involving the direct sale of produce from

a Florida farm co-op to local school

districts, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in 2000 partnered

with the University of Kentucky’s

Cooperative Extension Service, and

the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to conduct an outreach

workshop on farm-to-school marketing issues for more than 180

school food service directors, farmers, extension service agents, agricultural marketing specialists, and

officials in charge of school lunch

procurement. As a result, several

counties in Kentucky now purchase

produce directly from local growers

– cutting out the middleman and

seeing more food dollars go directly

into small farmers’ pockets.

Advancing Animal Welfare

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service in 2000 launched

innovative enforcement techniques

to uphold the Animal Welfare Act.

These new efforts – which include

allowing violators to contribute

resources to improving animal

health and welfare, rather than simply paying a civil fine – earned the

program a Hammer Award from

Vice President Gore for reinventing

government. USDA also revised its

strategic direction to focus greater

attention on facilities needing the

most oversight. In October, the

Department’s Animal Care Program

was recognized by the American

Humane Association for its efforts

in confiscating suffering animals

held in terrible conditions. USDA

also successfully negotiated a partnership with the horse industry to

address the contentious practice of

horse soring.
34

F

rom day one this Administration has been deeply committed to pushing the frontiers of

knowledge to expand opportunities

for U.S. agriculture, improve

human health, and offer up new

ways for agriculture, the environment, and the economy to advance

hand in hand. President Clinton

and Vice President Gore

understood full well the benefits of

a strong U.S. agricultural research

agenda, and a 1998 USDA report

supported their strong belief. It

found that from World War II

through the 1990's, public investment in agricultural research was

responsible for three-quarters of all

growth in U.S. farm productivity.

The report went on to say that

consumers got a big return on their

investment, as well, in the form of

lower food costs and expanded

choices. 

The Clinton Administration understood the potential of science to

improve human health, the U.S.

economy and virtually every aspect

of the American quality of life. In

2000, USDA research offered the

world new insights into global

warming and how the deadly

pathogen E. coli spreads. Department scientists cracked the genetic

code for cattle, poultry, and swine

and discovered new allies in the

war on breast cancer. 

From improving food safety to

expanding economic opportunities

for farmers and ranchers, to finding

new ways to help farmers produce

a growing world’s food in a sustainable way, this Administration’s

strong commitment to supporting

innovative research helped open

many new doors for U.S. agriculture and for all Americans who

value safe, abundant, affordable

food, healthy natural resources,

and healthy lives. 

Global Warming, More 

Sneezing

USDA researchers reported in midAugust the startling news that

global warming’s high carbon dioxide levels could be exacerbating

ragweed allergies. In the studies,

ragweed pollen production rose

almost 400 percent with a doubling

of the amount of carbon dioxide in

the air. The study also found that

high carbon dioxide levels may

cause pollen production to start

earlier in the year. That’s bad news

for allergy sufferers, and a

troubling indicator of the ways in

which high carbon dioxide levels

impact America’s health.

Battling Breast Cancer

In January 2000, a USDA-funded

study revealed that whey and soy

protein could help prevent breast

cancer. In the study, approximately

50 percent fewer rats had mammary tumors when fed a diet containing a processed wheat protein

compared with rats eating a standard diet. Whey protein is a minor

protein found in milk. Soy protein

prevented approximately 25 percent of mammary cancer in other

rats in the study. In April, USDA

scientists reported that cows either

grazing pastures or fed diets containing vegetable oil produced five

times more of a cancer-fighting

compound in their milk than did

cows fed conventional diets.

Battling Invasive Species

USDA intensified its ongoing efforts

against invasive species, with a

formal call to battle in February.

One of the most feared of these

invaders is a half-inch-long insect

called the glassy-winged

sharpshooter, which is spreading

Pierce’s disease and wreaking

havoc on California’s famous vineExploring New Scientific Frontiers

Asian Long-horned Beetle.
35

yards. To stop this devastating

duo–the microbe and the

insect–USDA’s Agricultural

Research Service signed an agreement with Brazilian scientists to

collaborate on breaking the genetic

code of the microbe that causes

Pierce’s disease. This would be a

strong first step toward designing

effective strategies to stop its

spread. The Brazilians already

have sequenced the genome of a

similar strain that causes disease

in citrus.

Another pest targeted in 2000 was

the Asian long-horned beetle, first

found infesting trees in New York

in 1996. This beetle typically

makes its way to the United States

via solid wood packing material

from China. It feeds on the interiors of trees, and if it spreads

unchecked into U.S. urban and 

forest landscapes, it could cause

billions of dollars in damage. The

difficulty in tracking the beetle is

that it often escapes detection,

wreaking its damage behind the

bark of seemingly healthy trees

while landowners are unaware of

the infestation. But in 2000, 

USDA scientists began working on

a system to detect the hidden 

beetles – by identifying and honing

in on their munching sounds.

Cracking Livestock’s 

Genetic Code

In April, a USDA scientist in Michigan helped deliver the latest breakthroughs on the map of the

chicken genome. The map, which

uses about 2,000 genetic markers

to locate chicken genes, will provide the tools to breed chickens

with both disease resistance and

high productivity. Just 3 months

later, USDA scientists in Beltsville,

Maryland, reported impressive

progress on the bovine genome

map, detecting specific regions of

cow DNA that harbor desirable

genes, such as for certain milk proteins that improve cheese. Also in

July 2000, USDA scientists in Clay

Center, Nebraska, announced that

they had successfully deciphered

50,000 gene sequences in the cattle

genome and more than 30,000

sequences in swine within the past

year alone – generating a vast

amount of new genetic information

to be shared with researchers

worldwide. This offers farmers and

ranchers their best shot at being

able to identify genetically superior

animals for breeding.

Erasing E. coli

Human pathogens have been big

news in recent years, especially E.

coli O157:H7, which can prove fatal

to the very young, the elderly or

people whose immune systems are

compromised. In March, USDA 

scientists revealed research showing that while the number of cattle

entering processing plants while

carrying E. coli O157:H7 was significantly higher than previously

thought – as much as 28 percent –

the measures taken at those plants

to clean the carcasses reduced E.

coli incidence to only 1.8 percent.

USDA scientists also unveiled a

new weapon in the fight against

both E. coli O157:H7 and

Salmonella. They developed a new

laboratory test that rapidly detects

the pathogens by pinpointing DNA

specific to those bacteria. The new

test is several hours faster than

standard techniques – good news

for the meat industry, which must

meet the Clinton Administration’s

zero tolerance standard for E. coli

O157:H7 in meat. E. coli’s secrets

were further revealed in March

2000 when USDA scientists

successfully used a gene borrowed

from a jellyfish to show how E. coli

spreads. In nature, the jellyfish

gene creates a bright green fluorescent protein. A USDA microbiologist

inserted the gene into strains of E.

coli, causing the E. coli to glow

under ultraviolet light, making it

easy to spy on the bacterium as it

spreads across lettuce leaves that

were experimentally contaminated

in a laboratory.
36

Introducing the "Cuke-Melon"

In July, USDA scientists made

botanical history with the first-ever

cross of a cucumber with a melon,

a breakthrough that could give

both plants more genetic resistance

against diseases and pests. The

new "cuke-melon" cross will serve

as a bridge for shuttling useful

genes – especially those for

disease resistance – between the

two crops.

"Accidental" Antibiotic

Discovery

USDA researchers discovered a

new family of antibiotic

compounds – not related to penicillin – with potent anti-microbial

activity. In their search for natural

compounds to control fungi in

plants, the scientists isolated six

compounds with some degree of

antibiotic activity against bacteria

of concern to agricultural and

health professionals, including

three compounds with excellent

activity against Staphylococcus and

Streptococcus, which cause staph

infections and strep throat in

humans. 

Improving Delta Diets

In January 2000, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service launched a

major nutrition survey in the Mississippi Delta, contacting residents

in 36 counties in Arkansas,

Louisiana, and Mississippi to gather information for the "Foods of

Our Delta Study 2000." The information gleaned in the survey will

be used to help improve the nutritional status of residents of the

Delta, where poverty, infant mortality, diabetes, and cancer rates

are the highest in the Nation. 

Dueling with Diabetes

In September, a USDA-funded

study revealed that elderly Hispanics who have diabetes are more

likely to lose muscle and the ability

to move with ease and take care of

basic needs, such as eating, dressing, and bathing. This information

emphasized the need to educate

the Hispanic community and

health care providers about the

serious consequences of diabetes

and the need for dietary and

lifestyle changes that can prevent

the disease or lessen its impact.

Smiting Potato Blight

USDA researchers used cuttingedge DNA technology to learn

more about an old enemy – 

Phytophthora infestans – the fungus

that caused the Irish potato famine

of the 1840's and still plagues

potato farmers today. The

researchers studied the DNA of

more than five dozen potato and

tomato lesions to find clues about

the source of "potato late blight"

epidemics. Using a high-tech

method called polymerase chain

reaction, the researchers made

enough copies of fungal DNA to

quickly identify specific pathogens

– information that could someday

give growers an early alert to the

need for control measures before

fungal diseases curtail their potato

yields.
37

With its strong

commitment to reinventing government so it

"works better and costs less," the

Clinton Administration worked diligently to produce a more lean, efficient, and effective Federal

Government. From its dramatic

reorganization of USDA around

real-world missions, such as food

safety, rural development, and farm

services, to its downsizing and

consolidating efforts that eliminated 23,000 positions from fiscal

year 1993 to fiscal year 2000 at

USDA alone, this Administration

produced the smallest government

since the Kennedy Administration.

It also was successful in streamlining government programs, cutting

red tape, and harnessing technology to improve efficiency and service, even as the number of USDA

employees declined.

Reinventing the way a large government department does business

may not sound as exciting as fighting hunger or promoting the farm

economy. However, this work is

just as important because these

programs not only "make the

trains run on time," but their 

quality also determines to what

extent USDA is capable of achieving its full potential. 

From leveraging technology to

improve service and reduce costs,

to improving the integrity of

Department programs, USDA today

is run more like a business and

less like a bureaucracy – delivering

greater value to its shareholders

(the American people) and offering

a shining example of reinvented

government that can provide better

service to the Nation.

Online Ethics Reporting Turns

Off Paperwork

The Clinton Administration’s 

reinvention efforts often involve

reduced paperwork. Typically, the

beneficiaries are customers and

partners, but one key paperwork

reduction breakthrough benefited

Federal Government employees

themselves. More than 250,000

Federal employees must annually

divulge their financial assets,

transactions, liabilities, and outside

interests. The reporting and

reviewing process is costly and

paper-intensive for every Federal

agency, primarily because those

who file complete and submit the

forms by hand. In 2000, the USDA

Office of Ethics and the USDA

National Finance Center pooled

their talents to reinvent this

process. They developed a webbased financial disclosure system

that is secure and simple to use. By

using existing hardware, and

exploiting the power of the Internet, the effort required very little

expenditure and created a very

responsive system. The new system is hardware independent. It is

accessible from anywhere in the

world via the Internet. The information also is highly secure

because it is stored on a tightly

secured computer system, depends

on employee passwords, and

encrypts data during transmission.

Best of all, USDA will share this

breakthrough with other Federal

employees. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics authorized other

Federal departments to adopt this

innovation. 

Delivering Value to Stakeholders 

Secretary Glickman, former Representative

Vic Fazio, and Under Secretary Mike Dunn

hear from a stakeholder during a town hall

meeting in Davis, California.
38

Setting the Standard for 

Government Websites

USDA is well aware that the Internet has become its most important

tool for communicating with

employees, customers, partners,

and stakeholders across the country and around the world. As a

result, in 2000, USDA’s Office of

Communications focused on not

just improving USDA’s Home Page,

but making it one of the best in the

Federal Government. The

redesigned Home Page went online

in January, featuring more links to

make it easier for customers to

access the information they need

quickly. The new Home Page highlights breaking news, with links to

reports and news releases. It also

features audio and video clips,

with live, real-time audio and video

streaming capabilities that allow

people to watch major news events

as they happen over their computers. Still photos are available from

field events, and orders for photos

can be filled directly via the Web.

The innovations came just in the

nick of time. In November 2000,

USDA’s Home Page received 3 million "hits," compared to 150,000

for that same month just 1 year

ago. The total number of hits for

the year exceeded 90 million. But

all of the effort was worth it. In

September, Brown University

ranked USDA’s website among the

top four in the Nation, in an e-gov

study of 1,813 websites.

Y2K "A-Okay" at USDA

Ensuring that the Department's

computer networks functioned

properly in the new millennium

represented a significant challenge.

USDA also was charged with

assessing the effects of the year

2000 calendar change on our

Nation’s food supply. In the end,

the "Y2K bug" was more buzz than

bite. The rollover proceeded with

few problems and no impact on

service delivery. USDA's preparation involved hundreds of senior

executives, technology experts,

program managers, and staff at

headquarters and in the field. A

key aspect of USDA’s efforts was its

leadership of the Food Supply

Working Group, one of 36 groups

formed by President Clinton to

address various aspects of the Y2K

challenge. The interagency group

worked for more than 18 months

to educate all industry parties

about threats – ranging from terrorism to computer glitches–and

potential safeguards. Only a few

minor electronic disruptions were

reported.

Secretary Glickman sees firsthand how 

technology can better serve constituents.
39

Hall of Heroes Honors 

Agriculture’s Pioneers

USDA inaugurated its newly established Hall of Heroes in September

by inducting four champions of

American agriculture: George

Washington Carver, one of the

greatest agricultural researchers in

U.S. history; Hugh Hammond Bennett, the father of soil conservation;

Smokey Bear, the international

symbol for forest fire prevention;

and Senator Robert Dole, a longtime leader in children’s food and

nutrition legislation. The honorees

are commemorated with plaques in

the entry hall to the USDA headquarters building in Washington,

DC. "By establishing the USDA Hall

of Heroes, we are creating a means

to forever acknowledge the contributions of distinguished pioneers of

agriculture, past and present, for

they should never be forgotten,"

Secretary Glickman said at the

induction ceremony. 

Expanding America’s Promise 

USDA signed a Memorandum of

Understanding with America’s

Promise - The Alliance for Youth,

to promote career guidance and

community service programs that

help young people realize their full

potential through USDA, 4-H clubs,

and America’s Promise community

service activities. Under the agreement, signed by USDA Deputy Secretary Rich Rominger and General

Colin Powell, former Chairman of

the Joint Chiefs of Staff and current

director of America’s Promise,

USDA will encourage 4-H club

members to work with adults and

other local organizations to start a

"Community of Promise" in their

area. These efforts aim to provide

mentors for young people, safe

places and structured activities

during non-school hours, healthy

food, marketable skills, and opportunities for them to make a positive

difference through community

service. 

USDA Leads Federal Use of

Bio-diesel Fuel

On August 12, 1999, the President

signed Executive Order 13134 to

promote bio-based products and

bio-energy. In support of these

goals, Secretary Glickman

announced that USDA would buy

20,000 gallons of B20 bio-diesel

fuel for use in USDA’s transportation fleet, making the Department

the first Federal agency to commit

to use of this alternative fuel. The

importance of bio-diesel was further highlighted by President Clinton’s Executive Order 13149,

"Greening the Government

Through Federal Fleet Efficiency,"

on April 21, 2000. In response to

this directive, USDA doubled its

original commitment, using 40,000

gallons of bio-diesel in the first

year. The Department now routinely uses bio-diesel in an estimated

200 vehicles–reducing polluting

emissions and increasing market

demand for this new use for agricultural crops. 

Senator Richard Luger and Secretary Glickman promote

bio-based products and bio-energy.

Deputy Secretary Rominger and General Colin

Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

Staff, sign agreement for “Community of

Promise.”
40

Afinal word is owed to the people 

who make USDA so important to the

Nation. Dedicated men and women

throughout USDA have shown a remarkable

ability to adapt to change, to modernize

with the times, and to respond to a variety

of external forces. They saw the Federal

Government go from record deficits to

record surpluses. They made the transition

to a workplace driven by the Internet and

other information technologies. They saw

the farm economy go from record highs to

all-time lows. They also watched USDA’s

workforce shrink 18 percent – from 

almost 130,000 people to about 107,000

worldwide. Through it all, they were asked

to do more, often with less, and they

responded professionally and with great

fortitude. 

I leave this job in awe of the commitment

and expertise of USDA’s employees. This

Department is blessed with countless

unsung heroes who devote their lives to

some of the most important issues facing

our Nation. Every day in this job, they

reminded me anew of the meaning of “public service.” 

I am proud of the legacy we built together.

We helped farmers and ranchers cope with

a severe downturn in prices and made conservation an integral part of U.S. farm policy, not just an afterthought. We worked to

open up new markets, both domestic and

foreign, for our farmers. We significantly

increased food aid to needy people overseas. We made revolutionary changes to

our meat and poultry inspection system,

helping to significantly reduce the threat of

foodborne illness. Our Forest Service refocused its efforts to manage the ecology of

the Nation’s forests and away from exclusively being a facilitator for cutting timber. 

We fortified the Nation’s nutrition safety

net and added food recovery, gleaning and

grass-roots anti-hunger partnerships to our

Epilogue

mission. We took major steps to promote

good nutrition practices for all Americans.

And, we invested $62 billion in housing,

economic development, improving water

systems and other support for rural America. We took the lead in stimulating a public

dialogue on biotechnology while working to

assure a strong, science-based regulatory

system. And, we laid the groundwork for

the future – for a new, more responsive

farm bill, in addressing concentration, in

improving prospects for family farmers, in

enhancing the nutritional health of all

Americans, and in investing in research.

One of our highest priorities has been on

the human side – to dramatically improve

our civil rights record with our employees

and customers. While the road has at times

been rocky, I think we have been successful

in our efforts.

But if I can leave USDA with one departing

thought, it would be this: Continue our civil

rights movement. If we treat each other as

we would wish to be treated – if we live by

the golden rule – then we will eliminate

discrimination. Being a good and decent

person, respectful of colleagues and customers, inspires others to do the same.

Through our personal commitment to our

fellow man and woman, we have the power

to bring out the true promise of America

and the values we all cherish.

I am proud to have led USDA for the past 6

years. On behalf of myself, Deputy Secretary Rominger and everyone who will be

moving on, it has been a great honor to

serve.
United States Department of Agriculture

December 2000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its

programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family

status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil

Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA

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Mention or depiction of commercial products or organizations in this 

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over other products and organizations not mentioned or depicted.

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