Farm Credit Administration

Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan 

June 30, 2020
The Farm Credit Administration is an independent federal agency that regulates and examines 

the banks, associations, and related entities of the Farm Credit System (FCS), including the 

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

The FCS is the largest agricultural lender in the United States. It is a nationwide network of 

lending institutions that are owned by their borrowers. It serves all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

FCA’s mission is to ensure a safe, sound, and dependable source of credit and related services 

for all creditworthy and eligible persons in agriculture and rural America. We do this in two 

ways:

1. by creating regulations for FCS institutions to follow

2. by examining FCS institutions to ensure their compliance with the Farm Credit Act of 

1971 (as amended), FCA regulations, and safe and sound banking practices

The agency was created by a 1933 executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Today the 

agency derives its authority from the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as amended.

The headquarters, as well as a field office, are in McLean, Virginia. There are also field offices 

in Bloomington, Minnesota; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Sacramento, California.

The Farm Credit System Building Association (FCSBA) was established to provide the facilities 

and related services for the FCA and its field offices. The FCSBA is owned by the banks of the 

Farm Credit System (banks) and is funded by assessments, rental income from commercial 

tenants, and other income. 

The FCSBA owns and operates the FCA headquarters in McLean, Virginia, and holds the leases 

and provides certain services and furnishings for the FCA field offices. 

The FCA Board has sole discretionary authority to approve the plans and decisions for such 

building and facilities. 

As of June 25, 2020, the FCA employed 303 full-time employees.

Achievements in the Past Year 

In fiscal year 2019, FCA continued sustainability efforts with a focus on reducing employee 

travel. We achieved nearly 8% reduction in metric tons of CO2 emissions, from last year to this 

year. Other FCA noteworthy activities in the past year:

• continue encouraging the use of public transportation via Metro and Fairfax Connector 

systems;

• providing for telecommuting by agency employees;

• reviewing expired leases and encouraged the FCSBA (building association) to adhere to 

initiatives and strategies set forth in Executive Order 13834; renewed Sacramento, CA 

lease. 
• monitoring the agency’s vulnerability to climate change by reviewing official 

studies/reports and developed action strategies;

• implementation of an agency-wide electronic recordkeeping system that reduced the need 

for paper files and office storage space; 

• turned off all lights and reduced air conditioning to FCA facilities, during the pandemic.

• increased efficiency of emergency generator fuel tank, by pumping out old fuel and 

sludge; inspected, cleaned, and refilled with new fuel.

• continuing the use of collaborative technologies and cloud-based sharing systems, which 

reduced the need for travel between headquarters and field offices;

• replaced 36-year old roof at the HQ building.

FCA’s Planned Activities for 2020 - 2022

FCA’s planned activities for the remainder of 2020 through 2022 to continue reducing our 

carbon footprint include:

• Post-Pandemic analyses of sustainability activities, due to demonstrable success during 

required telework environment

o assess additional telework allowance 

o promote a paperless office by leveraging technology for and training staff on 

electronic file sharing; 

o promoting the use of technology (Skype and VOIP) to enhance virtual 

collaboration; 

o leverage technology to deliver online training programs to reduce the need to 

travel to external locations or offices;

• one planned lease renewal this year; maintaining environmental efficiencies and work 

performance were considered; 

• planned installation of new efficient cooling tower this year; 

• promoting the use of public transportation at all locations where these options are 

available;

• launching a bike-to-work campaign in 2021 as part of the National Bike to Work Day 

Campaign, held the third Friday in May each year;

• advocating for and supporting commuter subsidy programs to encourage carpooling and 

use of public transportation;

• advocating for and supporting telecommuting by agency employees; 

• deploying new laptops this year that maintain or improve energy efficiencies for the 

building, and at the homes of our employees/contractors; old laptops will be recycled 

through various means;

• reviewing leases as they expire and collaborating with the building association to adhere 

to initiatives and strategies set forth in Executive Order 13834;

• collaborating with the building association to find strategies for the reduction of 

electricity consumption;

• collaborating with the building association to replace all light fixtures with energy 

efficient products; only LED lighting used as replacements;

• collaborating with the building association to replace toilets with low-flush devices;
• collaborating with the building association to maintain use of green products by janitorial 

services providers;

• developing signage for turning off high-energy consumption devices, such as printers,

over weekends or holidays; auto sleep mode on most equipment;

• developing signage for turning out lights every evening or when a room is not in use;

• working with the building association cafeteria to eliminate plastic straws;

• promoting the recycling of paper and plastic and providing collection receptacles in 

offices and high-traffic areas;

• collaborating with internal employee groups to solicit recommendations for new 

initiatives;

• promoting internal and external best practices;

• educating contracting personnel and program managers on the Green Procurement 

Compilation, a comprehensive green purchasing resource designed for federal contracting 

personnel and program managers to ensure adherence to purchasing requirements and 

identification of options to meet sustainability goals; and

• advocating for participation in Earth Day on April 22, 2021, as a way of raising 

awareness and identifying local opportunities to participate in sustainability activities.