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                    Most Recent Reports**1 - 20 of 1572 Reports**
	
	

	
	  **Released on   Jan 31, 2024**
          Precision Agriculture: Benefits and Challenges for Technology Adoption and Use
    GAO-24-105962
      Published:   Jan 31, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 31, 2024
.
    Precision agriculture uses technologies such as GPS or automation to make farms more efficient. For example, farmers can use auto-steering equipment to precisely plant a field, and activity monitors can help dairy farmers collect data about their cows' health. In this Technology Assessment , we review the benefits and challenges of precision agriculture technologies. They can make farms more profitable and have environmental benefits—like reducing...
      **Released on   Jan 18, 2024**
          Foreign Investments in U.S. Agricultural Land: Enhancing Efforts to Collect, Track, and Share Key Information Could Better Identify National Security Risks
    GAO-24-106337
      Published:   Jan 18, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 18, 2024
.
    Foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land grew to about 40 million acres in 2021, per USDA estimates. This can pose national security risks—such as when foreign interests buy land near U.S. military installations. USDA annually publishes data on agricultural land investments, which DOD, Treasury, and other agencies may review for risks. DOD noted that it needs more specific and timely data. USDA needs to collect...
          Food Safety: FDA Should Finalize Plans to Implement Its Rule to Help Trace Source of Outbreaks
    GAO-24-106563
      Published:   Jan 18, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 18, 2024
.
    Although the U.S. food supply is generally considered safe, foodborne illness is a common public health problem. Certain foods—like fresh produce and seafood—have often been linked to foodborne illness outbreaks. The Food and Drug Administration has a new rule requiring detailed records on certain foods as they move through the supply chain, which can help trace the sources of outbreaks. FDA has taken some steps—such...
      **Released on   Dec 15, 2023**
          Farm Credit System: Policy Considerations for a Potential Grant Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
    GAO-24-106646
      Published:   Nov 17, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 15, 2023
.
    Minorities and women may have trouble getting loans to buy and run farms. According to lending industry representatives, these socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers are more likely to operate smaller, lower-revenue farms; have weaker credit histories; or lack clear title to their agricultural land. The Farm Credit System provides low-cost credit to farmers and ranchers. Establishing a grant program for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers...
      **Released on   Dec 4, 2023**
          Crop Insurance: Update on Opportunities to Reduce Program Costs
    GAO-24-106086
      Published:   Nov 7, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 4, 2023
.
    The federal crop insurance program helps farmers get insurance to protect them when crop prices decline or harvests fall short due to natural causes. The Department of Agriculture partners with private insurers to run the program. In 2022, federal costs were $17.3 billion—with about $12 billion subsidizing premiums and the rest going toward the insurance companies' administrative costs and government costs for losses related to...
      **Released on   Nov 16, 2023**
          Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Strengthening Interagency Collaboration Could Help Inform Nutrition Research and Future Guidelines
    GAO-24-106130
      Published:   Oct 18, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 16, 2023
.
    Every five years the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services produce the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines provide advice on what to eat and drink to meet nutrient needs, promote health, and prevent disease. USDA and HHS co-chair a committee that identifies nutrition research priorities—which may inform the 2025-2030 guidelines. The committee's work has supported some research tools, like nutrition research databases...
      **Released on   Oct 31, 2023**
          Sugar Program: Alternative Methods for Implementing Import Restrictions Could Increase Effectiveness
    GAO-24-106144
      Published:   Oct 31, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Oct 31, 2023
.
    The Department of Agriculture administers the U.S. sugar program to support domestic sugar production through tools such as limiting the supply of sugar. The program creates higher sugar prices, which cost consumers more than producers benefit, at an annual cost to the economy of around $1 billion per year. The program also restricts the amount of sugar entering the U.S. at a low tariff. The...
      **Released on   Jul 14, 2023**
          School Meals: USDA Should Address Challenges in Its “Foods in Schools” Program
    GAO-23-105697
      Published:   Jun 14, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jul 14, 2023
.
    About 15-20% of the foods that make up school lunches are purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its "Foods in Schools" program. School districts mostly use the program to get lean meat and produce. USDA helps states and school districts operate the program. More than half of the states were satisfied with USDA's program assistance. But many states reported challenges such as cancelled...
      **Released on   Jun 27, 2023**
          Hunger and Homelessness: Funding Distribution for Key Programs
    GAO-23-105458
      Published:   Jun 27, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jun 27, 2023
.
    The COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and increased housing costs raised questions about whether more U.S. households are experiencing hunger and homelessness. We reviewed key federal programs that provide food or housing assistance to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Federal funding for such programs generally increased in FY 2017-2022. These programs use various criteria to determine the amount of funding to jurisdictions, but normally don't...
      **Released on   Jun 20, 2023**
          Combating Illegal Fishing: Better Information Sharing Could Enhance U.S. Efforts to Target Seafood Imports for Investigation
    GAO-23-105643
      Published:   May 19, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jun 20, 2023
.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection collaborate to combat imports of seafood caught via illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The agencies share information in several ways, including through Border Protection's interagency coordination center. But, NMFS officials reported concerns about getting timely information from Border Protection. For example, an NMFS official told us it may take as long as a week...
          Meat and Poultry Worker Safety: OSHA Should Determine How to Address Persistent Hazards Exacerbated by COVID-19
    GAO-23-105104
      Published:   Jun 20, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jun 20, 2023
.
    During the COVID-19 pandemic , there was a sharp increase in reports of illness among meat and poultry workers. These jobs require working in crowded plants, putting workers at greater risk of disease. In response to these concerns, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration increased plant inspections. But OSHA's safety standards didn't include COVID-19 related hazards—like requiring workers to be in close proximity. As a...
      **Released on   May 22, 2023**
          Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Agriculture
    GAO-23-106456
      Published:   May 12, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   May 22, 2023
.
    Each year, we make more than 1,000 recommendations to help the federal government save money, address issues on our High Risk List , and significantly improve government operations. This letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture outlines 12 open recommendations that it should prioritize. For example, one recommendation was for USDA to analyze different options to help farmers and ranchers prepare for the impacts of...
      **Released on   Apr 13, 2023**
          School Meal Programs: USDA Could Enhance Implementation of the Buy American Provision
    GAO-23-105884
      Published:   Apr 13, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 13, 2023
.
    The Department of Agriculture's school meal programs feed about 30 million children every day. Participating school districts must buy domestic products for the meals as much as possible. USDA allows some exceptions to this rule based on availability, cost, and quality of domestic products. School districts mostly used exceptions to buy fruits that weren't grown domestically, such as bananas and pineapples. When school districts use...
      **Released on   Mar 28, 2023**
          Food Prices: Information on Trends, Factors, and Federal Roles
    GAO-23-105846
      Published:   Mar 28, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 28, 2023
.
    From 2021-22, U.S. retail food prices rose by 11%—the largest annual increase in over 40 years. Rising food prices particularly impact low-income consumers, who spend about 30% of their income on food. Many factors influencing the food supply chain can affect retail food prices, such as global trade issues, pandemics, animal and plant disease outbreaks, and war. Federal agencies don't control food prices, but may...
      **Released on   Feb 16, 2023**
          Farm Bill: Reducing Crop Insurance Costs Could Fund Other Priorities
    GAO-23-106228
      Published:   Feb 16, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 16, 2023
.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers subsidized crop insurance to protect farmers from financial losses, such as from poor harvests and declines in market prices. This snapshot identifies changes Congress could make to the program to reduce its costs. We have previously suggested that Congress: Reduce subsidies to high-income participants by creating an income limit Adjust compensation to insurance companies to better align with market...
          Climate Change: Options to Enhance the Resilience of Agricultural Producers and Reduce Federal Fiscal Exposure
    GAO-23-104557
      Published:   Jan 17, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 16, 2023
.
    Climate change will negatively affect crop and livestock production in some regions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is developing and sharing information about climate change with farmers and ranchers. USDA also plans to better integrate climate resilience into agency decision-making. We identified 13 options that USDA could integrate into its ongoing climate resilience planning. One option is to expand "technical assistance" or expert advice provided...
      **Released on   Dec 14, 2022**
          Thrifty Food Plan: Better Planning and Accountability Could Help Ensure Quality of Future Reevaluations
    GAO-23-105450
      Published:   Dec 14, 2022
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 14, 2022
.
    Over 40 million people rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as "food stamps," to buy food. Benefits are based on the Thrifty Food Plan, which estimates how much it would cost a family of 4 to eat a healthy diet on a budget. In response to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture expedited a planned update to the Thrifty Food Plan...
      **Released on   Nov 17, 2022**
          National School Lunch Program: USDA Could Enhance Assistance to States and Schools in Providing Seafood to Students
    GAO-23-105179
      Published:   Nov 17, 2022
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 17, 2022
.
    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program provides healthy meals to millions of kids from low-income households. Dietary guidelines say school age kids should eat 4-10 oz. of seafood weekly. But seafood made up just 1-2% of all animal proteins that USDA purchased for the program (about 3 oz. per student per year) in FYs 2014-19. Several factors—allergy concerns, student preferences, and cost—affected...
      **Released on   Nov 8, 2022**
          Food Safety: FDA Oversight of Substances Used in Manufacturing, Packaging, and Transporting Food Could Be Strengthened
    GAO-23-104434
      Published:   Nov 8, 2022
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 8, 2022
.
    Food processing and packaging can introduce non-food substances, such as those used to greaseproof paper takeout containers, into food. Some of these substances may pose health risks. FDA reviews information on the safety of such substances before their first use. As new information becomes available that suggests a substance may pose a health risk, FDA will occasionally reevaluate it based on the new information. But...
      **Released on   Oct 13, 2022**
          Federal Fisheries Management: Overfishing Determinations Vary Across Regions, and Data Challenges Complicate Management Efforts
    GAO-23-105172
      Published:   Oct 13, 2022
. 
        Publicly Released:   Oct 13, 2022
.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) manages fish stocks in federal waters. This includes working to prevent overfishing and giving fish stocks that are overfished a chance to rebuild. NMFS offices submit information on overfishing and overfished stocks to a central database. But this database has some limitations—like not allowing staff to easily analyze trends over multiple years, which can be useful for tracking the...
    
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