Strategic Plan 

Fiscal Years 2022–2026

U.S. Department of Agriculture
2 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 1

A MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY...................................................................................................... 2

STRATEGIC GOAL 1 

Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural Resources

and Communities ............................................................................................................................................ 7

STRATEGIC GOAL 2

Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous .................................15

STRATEGIC GOAL 3 

Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers ........................21

STRATEGIC GOAL 4

Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food...........................................................................................29

STRATEGIC GOAL 5

Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural 

and Tribal Communities................................................................................................................................35

STRATEGIC GOAL 6

Attract, Inspire, and Retain an Engaged and Motivated Workforce that’s Proud to 

Represent USDA ...........................................................................................................................................43

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .....................................................................................................48

Contents
2 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

It’s an honor to be back at USDA, 

particularly at this moment in 

our history when we face such 

urgent needs and challenges in 

rural and Tribal communities, and 

across America. 

I am proud of how USDA has 

stepped up and worked tirelessly 

to deliver core programs 

and critical American Rescue Plan (ARP) COVID-19 

pandemic assistance to reduce hunger across the 

country, strengthen the food supply chain, invest in 

rural America, and provide long awaited support to 

underserved, socially disadvantaged farmers. In a 

major step to implement ARP, we have launched an 

independent Equity Commission charged with providing 

recommendations on policies, programs and actions 

needed to advance equity at USDA.

USDA’s FY 2022 – 2026 Strategic Plan reflects the 

challenges and opportunities we face and outlines how 

we plan to meet this moment. It is guided by five crosscutting priorities that inform our work: addressing 

climate change via climate-smart agriculture, forestry, 

and renewable energy; advancing racial justice, equity, 

and opportunity; creating more and better markets for 

producers and consumers at home and abroad; tackling 

food and nutrition security while maintaining a safe 

food supply; and making USDA a great place to work for 

everyone.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed 

into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, is 

a transformative, historic investment and opportunity 

to improve life and livelihoods across America – from 

delivering 21st century broadband to farmers, ranchers, 

small businesses, and rural communities for access to 

markets, jobs, telemedicine, and distance learning; to 

increasing community resiliency to climate change, 

drought, and wildfire risks; to providing innovative 

solutions that will strengthen American farmers, 

ranchers, foresters, producers, and rural communities. 

Together we will work to ensure that The People’s 

Department is effective, efficient, transparent, and 

customer-friendly as it delivers transformational 

investments and works to achieve six strategic goals: 

• Investments in climate-smart agriculture, forestry, 

and renewable energy will reduce emissions and 

create new and better market opportunities for all 

producers.

• Historically underserved communities will 

have improved access to USDA programs and 

opportunities as the Department roots out 

generations of systemic racism and discrimination. 

• New tools, funding, and research will help a 

diverse array of producers and landowners adopt 

conservation practices and access new products 

and markets. 

• All Americans will benefit from investments 

that provide consistent access to safe, healthy, 

affordable food essential to optimal health and 

well-being and address food and nutrition security. 

• Rural and tribal communities will benefit from 

historic investments in broadband, clean water, and 

clean and renewable energy infrastructure that will 

foster new job and market opportunities 

• The USDA workforce will be strong, healthy, and 

inclusive, comprised of leaders and staff who work 

together to build a culture that welcomes, respects, 

and supports everyone to reach their highest 

potential.

We know that with bold action, collaborative leadership, 

active dialogue, and a deep commitment to serving all 

Americans, we can together maximize impact to achieve 

extraordinary results. I look forward to working with you 

all.

Sincerely,

Tom Vilsack

Secretary

A Message from the Secretary

2
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 3

About the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed 

legislation to establish the United States Department 

of Agriculture (USDA or the Department). Two and a 

half years later in his final message to Congress, Lincoln 

called USDA “The People’s Department.” At that time, 

about half of all Americans lived on farms, compared with 

about two percent today. But through our work on food, 

agriculture, economic development, science, natural 

resource conservation, and a host of other issues, USDA 

continues to fulfill Lincoln’s vision—serving millions of 

Americans every day. The agriculture and food industry 

contributes $1.1 trillion to the U.S. domestic product 

and represents nearly 11% of total U.S. employment. 

Furthermore, USDA over the years has gained more 

authorities to expand its support not only in agriculture 

but the support infrastructure that give all producers 

better access to market and its surrounding communities 

and natural resources to also thrive.

Today, USDA is comprised of 29 agencies organized 

under eight Mission Areas and 16 Staff Offices, with 

nearly 100,000 employees serving the American people 

at more than 6,000 locations across the country and 

abroad.

Mission, Vision, and Core Values 

USDA Mission 

To serve all Americans by providing effective, innovative, 

science-based public policy leadership in agriculture, 

food and nutrition, natural resource protection and 

management, rural development, and related issues with 

a commitment to deliverable equitable and climate-smart 

opportunities that inspire and help America thrive.

USDA Vision 

An equitable and climate-smart food and agriculture 

economy that protects and improves the health, 

nutrition, and quality of life of all Americans; yields 

healthy land, forests, and clean water; helps rural 

America thrive; and feeds the world. 

USDA Core Values 

Respect and Dignity: We treat all people with courtesy 

and respect, and we value the inherent dignity of every 

individual. 

Equity and Inclusion: We seek to end discrimination in 

all forms, wherever it exists, and expand services and 

opportunities to underserved people and communities 

across America, starting with our workforce.

Trust and Integrity: We act in a manner that is deserving 

of the public’s trust and with the utmost integrity in 

everything we do as public servants. 

Service and Results: We listen to our internal and external 

customers and actively incorporate their ideas on how 

to best reach our diverse customers and deliver service 

that significantly and positively impacts the lives of all 

Americans. 

Science Leadership: We base our decisions and policy on 

science and data that are reliable, timely, relevant and 

free from political interference.

Stakeholder Engagement 

USDA regularly consults and engages with a wide 

range of diverse stakeholders, including Congress; 

USDA’s customers; State, local, and Tribal governments 

producers, cooperatives, landowners, policy experts, 

universities and trade schools, infrastructure sectors, 

lenders, foundations, technical assistance providers, 

environmental and social advocates, industry partners, 

and consumer groups regarding our programs’ 

effectiveness. USDA’s Mission Areas and Agencies 

conduct a variety of stakeholder engagement activities, 

including posting Requests for Information on the 

Federal Register and holding listening sessions with 

different Departmental partners. These activities have 

been used to inform and validate the strategic goals, 

objectives, and performance measures outlined in the 

plan.

Cross-Cutting Themes 

To meet the challenges and opportunities before us, 

Mission Areas and Agencies will work to advance the 

following cross-cutting themes and strategic priorities 

and ensure that critical mission-enabling operational 

systems¬—from science, research, technology, and data, 

to contracting and procurement—are strengthened 

to maximize USDA’s ability to deliver programs and 

customer service responsibly and equitably. 

• Addressing Climate Change via Climate-Smart 

Agriculture, Forestry, and Renewable Energy: USDA 
4 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

can position the agriculture and forestry sectors 

and rural and Tribal communities to be climate 

leaders. Acting on this will require investments in 

the research and development of climate-smart 

solutions that improve soil and forest health, make 

production more profitable, resilient, and adaptable 

while creating new income opportunities and 

generational wealth and contributing to National 

greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. This 

plan outlines our strategies to integrate climate 

change risks and opportunities into programs 

and services as we support farmers, ranchers, 

forest landowners, partners, and rural and Tribal 

communities in tackling this challenge. 

• Advancing Racial Justice, Equity, and Opportunity: 

USDA is committed to equity, civil rights, and 

inclusion, rooted in our dedication to justice and 

equal opportunity for our employees and those 

we serve. USDA is taking bold, historic action to 

reduce barriers to access, advance opportunity 

for underserved communities, and root out 

generations of systemic racism and discrimination. 

This includes the creation of the Equity 

Commission whose responsibility is to assess and 

recommend actionable solutions that will advance 

equity at USDA and its programs. It also includes 

embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in 

the workplace and ensuring USDA is a great place 

to work with a well-trained and diverse workforce 

committed to all its customers. This plan integrates 

equity in all its goals and will be executed into 

decision-making, operations, program delivery, and 

services with underserved communities in mind to 

ensure that all of USDA’s customers have a fair shot 

at program access and economic opportunity.

• Creating More and Better Markets for Producers and 

Consumers at Home and Abroad: The COVID-19 

pandemic has revealed vulnerabilities in our food 

system. As we build back better, we must create 

new and better markets for all producers and 

consumers. The food system of the future needs 

to be fair, competitive, distributed, and resilient. 

The success of American agriculture hinges on 

research, innovation, and the development of 

new markets, both at home and abroad. This plan 

outlines our strategies to create new markets and 

improve existing ones. 

• Tackling Food and Nutrition Insecurity and Food 

Safety: Recognizing that food and health are 

inherently intertwined, USDA aims to ensure 

Americans have consistent access to the safe, 

healthy, affordable food essential to optimal health 

and well-being. This means keeping the food 

supply safe—as USDA does each day—as well as 

prioritizing nutrition security. USDA’s nutrition 

programs are the most far-reaching tools available 

to achieve these objectives. This plan lays out our 

strategies to build on the innovation required by 

our COVID-19 response and other bold solutions 

that enhance food safety, improve our nutrition 

programs, reduce food insecurity, and prioritize 

nutrition security. 

• Making USDA a Great Place to Work for Everyone: We

strive to ensure an exceptional work environment 

as we contain the COVID-19 pandemic and work 

across the Department to build back better. 

This requires a strong, healthy, and inclusive 

workforce—one with leaders and staff working 

together to build a welcoming, respectful, 

accountable, and supportive culture that empowers 

everyone to reach their highest potential. This plan 

lays out our strategies to make USDA an employer 

of choice and great place for everyone to work. 

The graphic on the following page provides a thematic 

crosswalk between these overarching themes and the 

strategic goals and objectives by Mission Area.
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

5

GOAL 1

1.1 Use Climate-Smart Management and Sound Science to 

Enhance the Health and Productivity of Agricultural Lands



1.2 Lead Efforts to Adapt to the Consequences of Climate 

Change in Agriculture and Forestry



1.3

Restore, Protect, and Conserve Watersheds to Ensure 

Clean, Abundant, and Continuous Provision of Water 

Resources



1.4

Increase Carbon Sequestration, Reduce Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions, and Ce Economic Opportunities (and Develop 

Low-Carbon Energy Solutions)



GOAL 2

2.1 Protect Agricultural Health by Minimizing Major Diseases, 

Pests, and Wildlife Conflicts



2.2 Build Resilient Food Systems, Infrastructure, and Supply 

Chain



2.3 Foster Agricultural Innovation



GOAL 3

3.1

Foster Sustainable Economic Growth by Promoting 

Innovation, Building Resilience to Climate Change, and 

Expanding Renewable Energy



3.2 Expand Markets for Emerging Technologies, Sustainable 

Products, and Novel Products



3.3 Expand All Producers’ Access to Global Markets Through 

Negotiation and Enforcement of Trade Agreements



3.4

Expand International Marketing Opportunities and Build 

Demand in Developing Countries through Delivery of 

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building



GOAL 4

4.1 Increase Food Security Through Assistance and Access to 

Nutritious and Affordable Food



4.2 Encourage Healthy Dietary Choices through Data-Driven, 

Flexible, Customer-Focused Approaches



4.3 Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health



GOAL 5

5.1

Improve Rural and Tribal Community Infrastructure, 

Including Affordable E-Connectivity, Cornerstone 

Community Facilities, Sustainable and Reliable Power, and 

Clean and Safe Water and Sewer Systems



5.2 Boost the Financial Security of Rural and Tribal 

Communities Through Access to Affordable Housing



5.3 Increase Capacity, Sustainability, and Economic Vitality in 

Rural and Tribal Communities



5.4

Promote Environmental Justice by Maximizing Sustainable 

and Green Economic Development in Rural and Tribal 

Communities



GOAL 6

6.1 Foster a Culture of Civil Rights, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, 

Accessibility, Transparency, and Accountability



6.2

Establish a Customer-Centric, Inclusive, High-Performing 

Workforce that is Representative of America and the 

Communities We Serve



6.3 Promote USDA Operational Excellence Through Better 

Use of Technology and Shared Solutions



$
6 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 7

Combat Climate Change to Support America’s Working Lands, Natural 

Resources, and Communities

Strategic Goal 1 

disproportionately impacted by climate change 

and strengthen commitment to environmental 

justice. Justice40 is a whole-of-government effort 

to ensure that Federal agencies work with States 

and local communities to make good on President 

Biden’s promise to deliver at least 40% of the 

overall benefits from Federal investments in climate 

and clean energy to disadvantaged communities.

• Research and Development: Focus climate research 

and development efforts to better understand the 

full range of potential climate impacts, accelerate 

development of science-based solutions, inform 

the deployment of adaptation and mitigation 

strategies, and remove barriers to access. Agencies 

are encouraged to leverage the USDA Climate 

Hubs as a framework to support the delivery of 

climate change mitigation and adaptation science, 

technology, and tools.

Climate change poses a significant risk to agriculture, forests, and grasslands across the United States 

and the communities that support and depend on them. 

Now is the time to act. Our agricultural lands, National 

forests, and private working lands require conservation 

and restoration efforts to strengthen their resilience to 

drought, invasive species, and wildfire. The Department 

must lead with investments in science, research, and 

climate-smart solutions. These investments will mitigate 

the impacts of climate change, increase adaptation to 

climate change, generate new income opportunities, and 

build generational wealth in disadvantaged communities.

Agriculture can lead the fight on climate using climatesmart agriculture, forestry, and renewable energy 

practices that sequester carbon, reduce emissions, 

improve adaptation, and increase market opportunities 

for all producers. USDA is working to develop and 

implement a comprehensive climate-smart strategy 

that is centered on voluntary incentives and meeting 

the needs of our diverse producers, landowners, 

and communities. Our approach includes significant 

investments in resources for all producers and 

landowners. Additionally, it provides a host of new tools 

to deploy important conservation practices and the 

research essential to inform them. 

USDA’s priorities to help all producers, landowners, 

partners, and rural and Tribal communities tackle climate 

change include:

• Mitigation: Support meeting the President’s target 

of reducing greenhouse gas emissions economywide by 50 to 52% by 2030.

• Adaptation: Implement climate adaptation plans to 

ensure preparedness of USDA and its stakeholders 

for the current and projected impacts of climate 

change.

• Equity and Environmental Justice: Contribute to 

the Justice40 Initiative to benefit communities 

Learning Agenda Alignment

The USDA Learning Agenda contains one priority 

question aligned to this strategic goal from the 

Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area: 

What conservation practices are most effective in 

delivering climate benefits?
8 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: Office of the Chief Scientist – 

Research, Education, and Economics; Farm Production 

and Conservation – Natural Resources Conservation 

Service; Natural Resources and Environment – Forest 

Service; Office of the Chief Economist 

USDA is developing and implementing a comprehensive 

strategy to incentivize climate-smart decision-making 

by all agricultural and forest producers, landowners, and 

communities. The Department will build on its progress 

to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation 

into programs and services as we work to support 

farmers; ranchers; forest landowners; partners; and 

urban, rural, and Tribal communities in tackling climate 

change. By increasing the sustainability of our forests, 

rangelands, and crop and livestock systems through 

the deployment of climate-smart and environmentally 

smart management, we will see improvements in the 

condition of these resources, the development of healthy 

ecosystems, and vibrant, resilient communities.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Implement a Soil Health Monitoring Network to 

improve our understanding of soil management 

impacts on carbon sequestration.

• Improve conservation practice tracking and 

reporting to better inform conservation 

deployment strategies and report on progress, 

including through the Conservation Effects 

Assessment Program and other assessments.

• Establish the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) 

Climate Change Center of Excellence to develop 

standardized research protocols for innovative 

climate-smart technologies and practices.

• Establish the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and 

Assessment Program to improve USDA’s reporting 

on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon 

sequestration.

• Implement th¬e 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy 

to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire to 

communities. This strategy will dramatically 

increase the scale of fuels and forest health 

treatments, especially in areas of high risk. 

This strategy calls for treating up to 20 million 

additional acres of National Forest System Lands 

over the coming decade, along with up to 30 

million additional acres on adjoining lands of 

multiple ownerships, while building a long-term 

maintenance plan. 

• Leverage the ongoing work by the Forest Service’s 

Research and Development (R&D) arm to identify 

data needed to measure and index fire risk, risk 

reduction, and resilience in firesheds and to inform 

prioritized investing in risk reduction and fireshed 

resilience.

• Conduct an analysis of timber removals and 

their consequential impacts on the forests and 

economies of various regions. The findings of 

this study will be used to site mills, estimate 

sustainability of supply chains and forests, and 

inform policy and decision-making.

• Perform an assessment of alternative woody 

biomass harvesting scenarios to inform investment 

and resource treatment decisions.

• Assess the extent to which U.S. forests are 

sustainable in ecological, social, and economic 

dimensions and benchmark this data to other 

Nations.

• Conduct a Nationwide statistical survey of 

individual forest owners to determine how the 

Forest Service can improve collaboration and 

Spotlight on Science

USDA is using remote sensing and geospatial 

tools to improve near real-time monitoring of 

soil moisture, soil carbon flux, potential yield, 

and pest and disease outbreaks to better inform 

its observational networks and advise climatesmart decision-making.

Use Climate-Smart Management and 

Sound Science to Enhance the Health 

and Productivity of Agricultural Lands 

Objective 1.1
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 9

ensure equitable treatment of underrepresented 

owners.

• Through cooperative agreements between 

the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 

Transportation Services Division and university 

partners, review and analyze information on 

climate-related disruptions to transportation 

networks across various modes (e.g., ocean, rail, 

trucking, etc.).

• Link rural, Tribal, and urban community resource 

concerns and focus resources on the most critical 

areas of need to maximize conservation impact 

and allow all producers to be natural resource 

stewards. USDA is developing data layers that 

enable us to view communities in the context 

of climate change impacts, i.e., areas of severe 

drought, floods, wildfires, etc., or areas with 

mitigation opportunities. The data will be used to 

target funding where it has the greatest impact. 

Additionally, we are investigating how we can use 

indigenous knowledge to determine effective 

approaches to address extreme weather and 

climate events.

• Invest in long-term climate change research, 

education, and extension through the Agriculture 

Research Service’s Long-Term Agroecosystem 

Research Network and the USDA Climate Hubs 

to advance innovation on new crop and soil 

management systems, environmental monitoring, 

and breeding.

• Address increased pest resilience due to climate 

change, including developing climate suitability 

maps for priority pests, and focus pest surveillance 

activities using risk-based approaches and data 

analytics to proactively safeguard against potential 

pest risks resulting from climate change.

• Support research and programmatic advancements 

that aim to understand and identify forwardthinking strategies for ensuring pollinator resiliency 

in the face of heightened climate-induced stressors 

and forage declines. Establish a new pollinator 

subcommittee within the National Agricultural 

Research, Extension, Education, and Economics 

Advisory Board.

Objective Leaders: Office of the Chief Economist; Farm 

Production and Conservation; Natural Resources and 

Environment; Research, Education and Economics

All farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners are on 

the front lines of climate change, facing changes in 

temperature and precipitation patterns and more 

frequent and intense events such as floods, drought, 

hurricanes, and wildfires. More than ever, their planning 

efforts and decision-making need to account for the 

impacts of climate change. Climate adaptation on the 

part of USDA will ensure that climate change thinking 

is integrated throughout USDA’s mission, programs, 

operations, and management. USDA will continue to 

be a leader in the delivery of climate-smart science, 

research, and conservation practices, including through 

the USDA Climate Hubs.

USDA manages about 20% of the Nation’s forests and 

nearly 10% of the Nation’s rangelands. These forests 

and grasslands are essential to the environmental, 

economic, and social well-being of the country. However, 

these lands are suffering increasingly adverse impacts 

from severe wildfires, insect and disease infestations,

human influences, and extreme weather events,

inhibiting their ability to provide and sustain critical 

natural resources and recreation opportunities for the 

public. USDA’s ongoing objective is to improve forest 

and grassland conditions to make them more resilient 

to extreme events; share stewardship responsibilities 

with neighboring private landowners, Tribes, and 

governments; be responsive to public needs; and ensure 

Spotlight on Science

USDA Climate Hubs conduct regional climate 

vulnerability assessments using the latest National 

Climate Assessment data. These assessments will 

provide regionally customized climate mitigation 

and adaptation strategies for working land 

managers to make climate-smart decisions.

Lead Efforts to Adapt to the 

Consequences of Climate Change in 

Agriculture and Forestry 

Objective 1.2
10 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

they are sustainable, healthy, and productive so future 

generations can continue to use and enjoy them.

Implementation Strategies 

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Build long-term resilience at the farm and forest 

scale through investments in science-based 

adaptation practices that foster soil and forest 

health.

• Strengthen disaster preparedness, mitigation, 

response, and recovery through increased 

investment in outreach and technical assistance, 

preparation and response guides, and rapid 

response.

• Build a safety net that helps producers both 

mitigate and respond to the impacts of climate 

change.

• Expand access to tools and technology for climate 

adaptation and enhance outreach and education to 

build adaptative capacity.

• Determine factors that influence management 

decisions on wildfire suppression operations by 

conducting in-person field testing and record 

reviews.

• Establish measures to determine whether 

current funding allocation is the most effective 

use of program resources for Forest Stewardship 

Management Plans. Track implementation of 

recommendations from Forest Stewardship 

Management Plans to better understand 

conservation outcomes of the program.

• Identify priorities for hazardous fuel treatments to 

maximize outcomes of fuel management efforts.

• Support urban, rural, and Tribal communities 

in implementing sustainable and climate-smart 

strategies that improve resilience. 

• Quantify the number of climate adaptation and 

migration assessments, tools, and stakeholders 

supported through the USDA Climate Hubs to 

better understand vulnerabilities and improve 

adaption strategies for resilience and relevancy.

• Research innovative tools, technologies, and 

management strategies that quantify adoption 

benefits and strengthen mitigation, adaptation, and 

resiliency of production landscapes.
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 11

Objective Leaders: Forest Service; Natural Resources 

Conservation Service; Farm Service Agency

The Nation’s forests and grasslands that provide clean 

and available water are a fundamental part of the 

American landscape and legacy that the Forest Service 

holds in trust for future and present generations. These 

lands, along with the millions of acres of well-managed, 

privately held forests and grasslands, provide clean air 

and water, forest and rangeland products, mineral and 

energy resources, jobs, and quality habitat for fish and 

wildlife. Productive agricultural landscapes, including 

clean and available water, healthy wetlands, streams and 

rivers, and abundant fish and wildlife, underlie robust 

tourism and recreational activities.

Implementation Strategies 

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Perform Resources Planning Act Assessments to 

determine the impact of climate change on natural 

resources. Findings of these assessments will be 

used to advise on legislation and inform policy 

decisions. 

• Conduct a Nationwide statistical survey of forest 

area and forest characteristics to determine the 

extent to which Forest Service programs are 

effectively sustaining the health, diversity, and 

productivity of forests and grasslands.

• Conduct an analysis of alternative strategies 

for discretionary National program decisionmaking associated with Farm Service Agency’s 

(FSA) Conservation Reserve Program and 

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

(NRCS) conservation programs, including: the 

Environmental Quality Incentives Program, 

Restore, Protect, and Conserve 

Watersheds to Ensure Clean, 

Abundant, and Continuous Provision 

of Water Resources 

Spotlight on Science

USDA will support the water cycle by conducting 

research and accelerating understanding of 

Regenerative Agriculture. By studying the 

key hinderances to scaling up Regenerative 

Agriculture practices, USDA can convey its 

situational utility, implementation process, and 

use of tools and technologies to protect water 

resources and working landscapes.

Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, 

Conservation Stewardship Program, and Regional 

Conservation Partnership Program, to increase 

accessibility and effectiveness.

• Improve the ability to measure the effectiveness 

of CRP in reducing the flow of soil particles and 

trapping nutrients in place, specifically, to estimate 

the water quality impacts of Clean Lakes, Estuaries, 

and Rivers (CLEAR) practices, including grassed 

waterways and restored wetlands, FSA is working 

with partners to have the capability in the next 

year to report a total value related to nutrient and 

sediment reduction for CLEAR practices.

• Continue conservation data tracking and analysis, 

including impact on soil loss reduction on cropland, 

to better understand FSA and NRCS program use 

and dynamics and identify areas for additional 

outreach and public affairs engagement.

Objective 1.3
12 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: Rural Development; Natural 

Resources Conservation Service; Farm Service Agency; 

Farm Production and Conservation; Office of the Chief 

Economist; Research, Education and Economics

The Biden-Harris Administration has called for a 

whole-of-government approach to achieving net-zero 

greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and USDA has a 

critical role to play to avoid the worst impacts of climate 

change. The Department will leverage its partnerships 

with agriculture, forestry, rural communities, Tribes, 

cooperatives, and businesses to reduce greenhouse 

gas emissions in agriculture, sequester forest carbon, 

decarbonize rural electricity, and invest in renewable 

fuels production and renewable electricity generation. 

Based on the best available science and strategies, 

increasing carbon sequestration and reducing 

greenhouse gas emissions will contribute to a lower 

Nation al emissions footprint. USDA will continue 

to analyze the economic costs and benefits of these 

conservation practices during implementation.

Implementation Strategies 

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Implement the Climate-Smart Agriculture 

and Forestry Partnership Program to create 

new market opportunities for climate-smart 

commodities produced by farmers, ranchers, and 

forest owners and offer a mechanism to build a 

stable platform for climate action in the agriculture 

and forestry sectors. 

• Finalize and implement the 10-year National 

Reforestation Strategy to provide a vision and 

framework to address the Nation’s reforestation 

needs. 

• Develop a Fire Risk Reduction Strategy for 

reducing wildfire risk to rural, Tribal, and urban 

Spotlight on Science

USDA will conduct research and economic 

analysis on alternative crops and the food system 

to identify possible strategies for reducing the 

emissions footprint. By analyzing the economic 

alternatives and financial returns for major 

crops in the Climate Hubs’ regions, USDA can 

inform perceptions on cropping alternatives and 

demonstrate environmental benefits.

Increase Carbon Sequestration, Reduce 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Create 

Economic Opportunities (and Develop 

Low-Carbon Energy Solutions). 

communities and natural resources in the West, 

working with partners to restore fire resilience 

across multiple jurisdictions and inform decisions 

to allocate of community defense grant funds. 

• Support rural and Tribal clean electricity generation 

and energy efficiency. 

• Support biogas and other clean fuels production 

and infrastructure. 

• Invest in field-scale tools for estimating greenhouse 

gas impacts in collaboration with other Federal 

agencies. Conservation Technical Assistance 

funding will be used to support these efforts. 

• Conduct climate and agriculture research, 

including data collection and methodological work, 

to determine how the U.S. can expand carbon 

sequestration and woody biomass supply on limited 

land.

• Establish a carbon pilot program to measure 

carbon sequestration.

• Perform an analysis of the Northwest Forest Plan 

to inform decision makers on current and future 

possible conditions and trends in social, economic, 

and ecological systems.

• Assess the USDA baseline life-cycle analysis 

demonstrating how beef cattle production in the 

U.S. affects the environment so that all scientists 

and producers can improve the sustainability of 

animal agriculture.

• Improve current understanding of agricultural 

soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas 

emissions processes, resulting in new tools, models, 

and technologies for accurate assessment of 

greenhouse gas fluxes from agricultural systems.

Objective 1.4
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 13
14 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 15

Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, 

and Prosperous

Strategic Goal 2

A strong and prosperous agricultural sector is essential to the well-being of the U.S. economy. 

America’s farmers and ranchers ensure a reliable food 

supply, support job growth, and promote economic 

development. To maintain an equitable and competitive 

agricultural sector, USDA will safeguard animal and plant 

health, support farmers and ranchers’ ability to start 

and maintain profitable cooperatives and businesses 

and offer financial support to all producers affected by 

natural disasters. Additionally, USDA’s research agencies 

will continue to introduce high-performance plants and 

animals and offer integrated management options to 

increase the efficiency of farming practices. 

USDA’s priorities to improve the equity and resilience of 

the agricultural system include: 

• Safeguarding Animal & Plant Health and Food Safety: 

Safeguard animal and plant health by mitigating risks 

posed by pests, diseases, and the impacts of climate 

change to create and improve market opportunities 

to ensure consumers at home and abroad can trust 

U.S.-produced foods and the USDA brand. 

• Processing and Distribution Capacity: Prioritize support 

for new and existing small- and mid-sized dispersed 

processing facilities to increase food supply chain 

resilience and economic opportunity.

• Local and Regional Food Systems: Examine fair 

competition and equitable procurement decisions, 

programs, and services to determine how they 

can enhance local and regional food systems and 

increase equitable opportunities with an emphasis on 

supporting underserved producers, cooperatives, and 

businesses. 

• Emerging Opportunities and Innovation: Ensure that 

USDA is on the cutting edge of agriculture and 

create new opportunities in urban, rural, Tribal, and 

suburban communities. 

Objective Leader: Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service

The impacts of pests, diseases, and wildlife conflicts 

on agricultural production, commerce, and trade can 

be immense. USDA must balance keeping American 

agriculture safe while expanding access to new 

agricultural markets all across the globe. Domestically, 

USDA conducts emergency response activities that 

minimize threats and their impacts on agricultural 

industries, adapting to changes in agricultural risk by 

adjusting available resources to address these threats. 

Concurrently, the Department embarks on collaborative 

research to develop pest-resistant strains of crops and 

new animal-disease vaccines, expedites the approval of 

new treatments, and develops strategies to prevent and 

mitigate damage related to conflicts with wildlife. 

To reduce the risk of unsafe agricultural products 

entering the U.S., USDA incorporates mitigation 

strategies into international agreements and movement 

protocols. USDA works with its partners to conduct 

monitoring and surveillance efforts throughout the 

country to quickly detect and implement response 

Learning Agenda Alignment

The USDA Learning Agenda contains one priority 

question aligned to this strategic goal from the 

Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area: 

At the borrower level, what economic 

factors impact Farm Loan Program demand, 

delinquencies, and other risks?

Protect Plant and Animal Health by 

Minimizing Major Diseases, Pests, and 

Wildlife Conflicts 

$ Objective 2.1
16 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

efforts to foreign pests and diseases that may have 

evaded prevention measures. This rapid response to 

foreign pest and disease incursions results in minimal 

impact to U.S. producers and disruptions to trade and 

contributes to the protection of American agriculture. 

By employing effective prevention and mitigation tactics, 

USDA will reduce the impact of agricultural pests and 

diseases, as well as wildlife damage, to ensure that U.S. 

farms and ranches remain healthy and productive. 

Implementation Strategies 

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Conduct research to understand the various 

tools, methods, and data on the economic impact 

of citrus greening and import competition on U.S. 

agriculture.

• Develop a science-based policy framework for 

how to best identify and address zoonotic disease 

challenges in livestock and other farmed animals, 

through pilot projects for surveillance of SARSCoV-2 in farmed wildlife and evaluation of policy 

alternatives.

• Perform geospatial analysis, risk analysis, and 

predictive modeling to inform strategies for 

assessing climate change impacts on Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) programs, 

including the development of technologies and 

tools to identify and mitigate impacts of invasive 

species, pests, and diseases. APHIS will leverage 

existing partnerships with academia and other 

Federal agencies to identify data, policies, and 

opportunities such as the Civilian Climate Corps 

that can aid in decision-making and program 

planning.

• Complete a National Animal Health Laboratory 

Network pilot project to monitor antimicrobial 

resistance profiles in animal pathogens and 

establish a long-term surveillance program with at 

least 30 participating laboratories.

• Develop a plan for integrating more 

environmentally friendly treatments into plant 

pest and disease response and import/export 

risk mitigation measures. Through risk analysis, 

scientific literature and peer review, and methods 

development, APHIS will collect information to 

inform decision-making around treatment options 

and comply with environmental regulations.

Spotlight on Science

USDA will advance and promote its soil, plant, 

and animal health microbiome research to 

accelerate the deployment of technology 

and practices that improve crop and animal 

production, transform feed efficiencies, and 

increase resiliency to stress and disease.
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 17

Objective Leaders: Agricultural Marketing Service; Rural 

Development; Farm Production and Conservation

USDA works tirelessly to ensure that the food system 

is fair, resilient, competitive, and distributed. USDA will 

continue to employ innovation and develop new markets, 

both at home and abroad, to ensure that these goals 

are met. The Department supports efforts that bolster 

the economic growth of U.S. growers and producers, 

local and regional food systems, innovative production 

methodologies, and marketing strategies. In response 

to the increased demand for local and regional foods 

caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA will prioritize 

investments that strengthen these markets and ensure 

food supply chain resilience for the future. Investing in 

local and regional food systems will further enhance the 

share of profits for those who grow, harvest, process, 

and prepare our food. Further, USDA will continue to 

advance opportunities in new markets abroad to better 

enable U.S. agriculture to access and sustain market 

growth. 

By transforming the food system’s infrastructure 

and strengthening critical supply chains, USDA will 

ensure resilience against threats and disturbances and 

provide local and regional food systems with economic 

opportunities and security.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Assess the impact of the Department’s 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and 

American Rescue Plan investments on key 

outcomes using grant performance metrics for local 

and regional food systems (such as partnerships 

developed, business development changes, 

diversification, and expanded market development), 

and the supply chain (such as feasibility studies 

conducted, value chain enhancements made, 

increased small food business activity, number of 

new market access points established).

• Conduct research on the role of financing in the 

meat and poultry industry; the short-run effects of 

retaliatory tariffs on different types of U.S. farms 

and the distribution of Market Facilitation Program 

payments; and the impact of the shipping container 

market on supply chains.

• Implement the Local Food Purchase Assistance 

Cooperative Agreement Program allowing 

State and Tribal governments to purchase local 

foods from local producers, focusing on socially 

disadvantaged producers and targeting distribution 

to underserved communities.

Build Resilient Food Systems, 

Infrastructure, and Supply Chain 

$ Objective 2.2
18 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: Office of the Chief Scientist – 

Research, Education, and Economics 

The future of U.S. agriculture, which includes plant 

and animal agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture, 

depends on continued science, innovation, and process 

improvements supporting technological progress, 

production efficiencies, and environmental stewardship.

Advancing areas with a focus on climate-smart 

agriculture will enable the creation of innovations to 

minimize the environmental footprint of agriculture and 

ensure sustainability while improving crop yields. New 

technologies and system designs are needed to produce 

higher-value end products from agricultural products, 

emerging crops, livestock, and forest feedstocks. 

This will enable new markets, establish new domestic 

supply chains, and create more jobs and economic 

opportunities. Increasing productivity has significant 

social and economic benefits for society.

USDA will prioritize innovation to meet the needs of our 

stakeholders and build infrastructure for the challenges 

of today and tomorrow, with emphasis on continuous 

improvement. USDA will take proactive steps to ensure 

that data, evaluation, and learning opportunities are 

central to agriculture initiatives across the Department 

and Nation.

Implementation Strategies 

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

science and data to inform decision-making:

• Develop innovative, commercially viable 

technologies in support of agriculture and 

agricultural markets including programs that 

target local food production, development of new 

products, labor-saving production technologies, 

and protection from animal and plant disease. 

Implement research to develop new products, 

input use efficiencies, and identify uses from food 

byproducts and waste. 

Spotlight on Science

With new technologies such as automation 

and remote sensing, agriculture is on 

the forefront of an exponential leap in 

productivity. USDA will conduct Value 

Chain research to develop an objective and 

measurable understanding of “value” and 

incorporate it as tool for evaluating future 

programs targeting agricultural and forestry 

products and innovative technologies. 

• Develop and transfer technologies through 

partnerships with universities, colleges, and private 

and Federal laboratories to produce innovative and 

high-value products.

• Lead the Agriculture Innovation Mission for 

Climate, which seeks to address the climate crisis 

by uniting participants to significantly increase 

and accelerate investment in, or other support 

for, climate-smart agriculture and food systems 

innovation over the next five years. 

• Engage stakeholders to develop inclusive 

collaborative partnerships that foster innovation 

and adoption of beneficial novel technologies.

Foster Agricultural Innovation 

$ Objective 2.3
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 19
20 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 21

Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All 

Agricultural Producers 

Strategic Goal 3 

Expanding international marketing opportunities for U.S. farmers and exporters is critical to fostering 

business and income growth across rural America. It is 

essential for USDA to continue its efforts to promote 

American agricultural products and exports through 

promotion activities, development of international 

standards, removal of trade barriers by monitoring and 

enforcing existing trade agreements, and negotiation 

of trade agreements that benefit the U.S. agricultural 

economy. USDA will also work with developing countries 

to grow their economies and facilitate trade, developing 

markets of the future for all our producers.

USDA’s priorities to foster an equitable and competitive 

marketplace include:

• Open and Competitive Markets: Establish fair and 

better markets at home and abroad that are open, 

transparent, and competitive. 

• Markets Abroad: Expand and diversify export 

markets and improve the ability of U.S. agriculture 

to access and sustain successful market growth 

abroad through a worker-oriented, marketoriented, science-based, and rules-based trade 

agenda.

• Mitigation: Support development of climatesmart commodity production to ensure access to 

domestic and international markets for low-carbon 

goods. 

• Equity and Environmental Justice: Design, 

implement, and administer programs in a way 

that is environmentally sound and increases 

access, program participation, and investments 

for underserved communities. Contribute to the 

Justice40 Initiative to assess and track benefits to 

disadvantaged communities disproportionately 

impacted by climate change.

• Research and Development: Focus climate research 

and development efforts to better understand the 

full range of potential climate impacts, accelerate 

Learning Agenda Alignment

The USDA Learning Agenda contains one 

priority question aligned to this strategic goal 

from the Farm Production and Conservation 

Mission Area:

At the borrower level, what economic factors impact 

Farm Loan Program demand, delinquencies, and 

other risks?

development of science-based solutions, inform 

the deployment of adaptation and mitigation 

strategies, and remove barriers to access. Agencies 

are encouraged to leverage the USDA Climate 

Hubs as a framework to support the delivery of 

climate change mitigation and adaptation science, 

technology, and tools.
22 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: Farm Production and Conservation; 

Office of the Chief Scientist – Research, Education, and 

Economics; Office of the Chief Economist 

According to the United Nations report, the world 

population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050. 

Feeding this population will require us to adopt new 

technologies and scientific approaches to sustainably 

increase agricultural production. To ensure U.S. private 

working lands and public landscapes are conserved and 

managed for future generations, the Department will 

provide technical and financial assistance using the latest 

technology and research available. Fundamental and 

applied research will explore the complex interactions 

between human systems and the environment. This 

knowledge can then be shared with producers and land 

managers through resources, tools, and decision support, 

leading to enhanced adoption of climate-smart practices. 

USDA is implementing a climate-smart strategy that will 

be integrated into Departmental programs and services 

beginning in FY 2022. This strategy will offer voluntary 

incentives to producers, landowners, and communities 

while being considerate of their needs as USDA works 

with them to address the causes and consequences of 

climate change. USDA will continue to play a crucial role 

in supporting America’s rural prosperity by providing a 

strong safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers. 

In addition, the Department will continue to improve 

program delivery and customer experience. By helping 

industry connect with consumers through grants and 

market development programs, USDA will foster new 

market opportunities while improving food access and 

market transparency. As a result, these programs and 

services will benefit industry stakeholders throughout the 

food supply chain. 

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Perform cost-benefit analyses of the 

implementation of the Farm Bill and other 

major programs, such as Wildlife and Hurricane 

Indemnity Program Plus and the Market 

Facilitation Program. The findings of these analyses 

will help program officials, USDA leadership, and 

the public understand the impact of program 

changes and the initiation of new programs.

• In support of Executive Order 14058, Transforming 

Federal Customer Experience and Service 

Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, FSA is 

reviewing its Farm Loan Programs loan applications 

to simplify and streamline the process and is 

beginning development of an integrated online 

application to modernize what is currently a manual 

process.

• Assess barriers to credit access in Farm Loan 

Programs with a focus on underserved producers, 

the use of existing loan programs and needed 

program modifications to support climate-smart 

practices and technologies that will contribute to 

the Justice40 Initiative, and the effectiveness of 

credit activities to support farmers and ranchers 

starting and maintaining profitable operations. 

Customer surveys and expanded data collection 

and analytics will be used in the assessments and 

will inform recommendations and measuring 

outcomes. 

• Conduct an analysis of the Farm Loan Program to 

determine how the effectiveness of credit activities 

can be improved. 

• Analyze alternative strategies for discretionary 

National program decision-making associated 

with Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss 

Coverage Programs. This study will address issues 

such as determining the government cost impacts 

to changing the Agriculture Risk Coverage and 

Price Loss Coverage yield cascade and identifying 

the types of yields that should be used in situations 

where county yields are missing. 

Foster Sustainable Economic Growth 

by Promoting Innovation, Building 

Resilience to Climate Change, and 

Expanding Renewable Energy 

Objective 3.1
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 23

• Through targeted analysis, identify strategies 

for maintaining and enhancing high-quality 

implementation of major FSA programs, including 

Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss 

Coverage, Dairy Margin Coverage, livestock 

disaster programs, and others.

• Refine and streamline data collection processes 

and systems for in-house consolidation of 

Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act

initiatives so that they are easier to use, reduce 

resource needs, and improve the timeliness of 

data delivery. This initiative will focus on an access 

database that tracks foreign investment in U.S. 

agriculture (e.g., acquisition and disposition of land 

by foreign country of owner, U.S. State, and type of 

land). 

• Identify the key data and information needed 

to better understand the current state of the 

hemp market and determine what data should be 

collected to support FSA and Risk Management 

Agency programs, including crop insurance, the 

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, 

Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, and FSA credit 

programs.

• Support NRCS, FSA, and other USDA Agencies’ 

climate mitigation and adaptation efforts by quickly 

moving technologies and innovative practices from 

the testbed into practice. Initiate new research 

efforts targeting high-impact and strategic 

innovations needed by NRCS and other Agencies. 

Leverage the Climate Hubs to connect research 

and program Agencies delivering science-based 

tools and technologies to producers. 

• Develop an interactive portal for data providers 

to better understand the demographic profile of 

farm producers and advance racial justice, equity, 

and opportunity. As part of this effort, the National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will ease 

reporting barriers to provide a more complete 

profile of the farming population; conduct endto-end data collection activities for a pilot survey 

and demonstrate the integration of existing 

data collection systems; integrate the portal 

with Farmers.gov; and design and implement an 

authentication process.

• Implement debt relief and increase land 

retention opportunities for underserved farmers, 

ranchers, and foresters. More information on this 

implementation strategy can be found in the USDA 

Equity Action Plan.

Spotlight on Science

Using annual behavioral nudge experiments, 

USDA will conduct studies to determine the 

appropriate mix of financial incentives and 

technical assistance leading to increased farm 

use of conservation practices.
24 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: Office of the Chief Scientist – 

Research, Education, and Economics; Trade and Foreign 

Agricultural Affairs; Agricultural Marketing Service; 

Office of the Chief Economist 

USDA links U.S. agriculture to the world by promoting 

agricultural exports, which are vital to the American 

agricultural sector. USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service 

(FAS) conducts export promotion activities, which help 

U.S. food and agricultural exporters take advantage of 

market opportunities. These opportunities are created 

by removing barriers to U.S. exports and by building 

trade capacity to increase demand for exports, including 

developing foreign markets for U.S. climate-smart 

agricultural products. USDA administers trade programs 

and activities, working in partnership with private-sector 

associations, land-grant universities, State and regional 

trade groups, U.S. food and agricultural exporters, 

and U.S. and foreign financial institutions. In addition, 

USDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) manages 

and provides oversight for international science and 

technology collaborations, which are critical to protecting 

and promoting USDA R&D provide the foundation upon 

which domestic and international markets grow.

External factors play a role in expanding international 

marketing opportunities. These factors include 

environmental conditions, such as variability in domestic 

and overseas crop production, natural disasters, disease 

outbreaks, pest infestations, and food contamination. 

Furthermore, important trading partners are considering 

criteria and preferences related to the greenhouse 

gas performance of agricultural commodities and 

products. USDA can help respond to this demand by 

preparing domestic producers to meet these new market 

opportunities.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• As part of the AMS Fair Trade Practices Program

(Packers and Stockyards Division), monitor market 

prices and conduct investigations of alleged unfair 

or anti-competitive conduct in the livestock, meat, 

and poultry industries. The findings of these 

analyses will be provided to the Office of General 

Counsel and U.S. Department of Justice for legal 

action. 

• Leverage research and data from the Research, 

Education, and Economics Mission Area to support 

projects that will create more and better market 

opportunities and drive innovation of commercially 

viable technologies and products.

• Implement the Climate-Smart Agriculture 

Partnership Initiative to create new market 

opportunities for producers and landowners 

through the production of commodities that meet 

the growing demand for sustainable products 

in the U.S. market, as well as the preservation 

and expansion of export opportunities for these 

commodities.

• Support the increased development, purchase, 

and use of biobased products through the 

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, 

BioPreferred Program, and Wood Innovations 

Program. Biobased fuels and products create new 

opportunities for creating sustainable options 

for existing markets and for new markets with 

products with enhanced attributes of performance 

and sustainability.

• Research new, efficient, and cost-effective robotic 

and imaging systems for nondestructive quality 

assessment, grading, harvesting, and tracking 

of fruits and vegetables, incorporating artificial 

intelligence and advanced data analytics which 

deliver higher-quality products at more competitive 

costs, especially within international markets.

• Develop a USDA-wide strategic framework 

to facilitate the protection and promotion 

of USDA R&D activities. The framework will 

support advancement of mutually beneficial 

strategic international science and technology 

collaborations, strengthening the protection 

of USDA R&D against foreign government 

interference and exploitation and maintaining an 

Expand Markets for Emerging Technologies, 

Sustainable Products, and Novel Products

$

Objective 3.2
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 25

open environment to foster research discoveries 

and innovation, all with an emphasis on critical and 

emerging technologies. 

• Leverage the USDA network of global agricultural 

attachés to support engagement with foreign 

governments and industries on trade issues related 

to emerging technologies, sustainable products, 

and novel products.

• Finalize organic rules that ensure a fair and 

competitive market for organic producers, 

including the Organic Livestock and Poultry 

Standard and Strengthening Organic 

Enforcement rule. 

Objective Leader: Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs

Agricultural exports are crucial to the economic viability 

of U.S. farmers and ranchers. USDA strives to ensure 

that U.S. exporters can sell safe, wholesome food and 

agricultural products around the world. Supporting a 

rules-based global trading system, USDA negotiates, 

monitors, and enforces trade agreements to ensure 

global market opportunities for U.S. agriculture. USDA 

administers a number of programs to support the 

expansion of global market access and uses its market 

development programs to support the trade-policy 

efforts of industry partners. The Department also works 

with other government Agencies, trade associations, 

and organizations to maintain and establish transparent, 

science-based standards for U.S. agricultural products. 

To maintain a level playing field for exporters, USDA 

provides technical and scientific expertise to successfully 

address barriers to trade, such as tariffs, food safety, and 

animal and plant health issues. Through its monitoring and 

enforcement efforts, the Department will also ensure the 

realization of anticipated benefits when new agreements 

are implemented. 

USDA relies on its worldwide network of agricultural 

representatives and partnerships with private-sector 

stakeholders to monitor foreign trade and regulatory 

actions that may affect exports. Removing existing 

barriers while preventing new ones from materializing 

will directly help U.S. producers thrive. USDA works to 

ensure that the same rules apply to countries worldwide 

through international standard setting, and that scientific 

principles are the basis for international standards and 

international trade decisions. 

Expand All Producers’ Access to Global 

Markets Through Negotiation and 

Enforcement of Trade Agreements

$

Objective 3.3
26 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Identify and develop market opportunities and 

more diverse export markets through an economic 

global market review, more robust foreign 

engagement, trade agreements, and cooperative 

multilateral economic and trade forums.

• Engage in the development of trade rules and 

policies related to climate change, sustainability, 

and innovative agriculture technologies that 

advance the common vision of sustainable food 

systems by engaging and influencing outcomes 

in international institutions (e.g., Food and 

Agriculture Organization, Organization for 

Economic Cooperation and Development, World 

Organization for Animal Health, etc.) and through 

multilateral and bilateral engagements.

• Monitor and enforce existing trade agreements to 

ensure that USDA’s partners fulfill commitments 

and address unfair practices and facilitate trade.

• Develop a model for assessing the costs and 

potential gains from non-tariff measures restricting 

U.S. exports. 

• Engage with other Federal agencies, Congress, and 

foreign governments to identify key principles for 

reforming the global trading system to promote 

more market-oriented, science-driven, and rulebased institutions. 

• Remove barriers to expanding market access 

for small and disadvantaged farmers and farm 

cooperatives by providing targeted outreach and 

technical assistance. More information on this 

implementation strategy can be found in the USDA 

Equity Action Plan.

Objective Leader: Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs

USDA advances global competitiveness through the 

delivery of market development programs, technical 

assistance, and trade capacity building. These programs 

support the development of export markets and 

adherence to a rules-based trading system. USDA 

administers programs to build the capacity of developing 

countries to integrate into the global economy and 

become full trading partners with the United States. 

USDA works with these countries to move them along 

the agricultural market spectrum from developing to 

developed economies with promising demand potential. 

The Department’s market development programs assist 

U.S. exporters in increasing awareness and demand for 

their products worldwide. USDA also partners with 

domestic agricultural industries, foreign governments, 

and agricultural scientists, as well as overseas farmers, 

cooperatives, and businesses, to expand international 

marketing opportunities. Harnessing its extensive 

network of technical and scientific expertise, USDA 

successfully administers and implements these programs 

globally to the benefit of U.S. farmers and ranchers.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making: 

• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 

marketing programs by streamlining program 

application and funding processes.

• Promote agricultural economic development 

policies that support trade with emerging 

economies and countries.

• Develop a mobile application for agribusiness trade 

missions, virtual trade events, and USDA-endorsed 

trade shows to facilitate increased participation. 

Expand International Marketing 

Opportunities and Build Demand in 

Developing Countries Through 

Delivery of Technical Assistance and 

Capacity Building

Objective 3.4 $
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 27

• Develop and strengthen partnerships with 

minority-serving institutions in the implementation 

of international technical assistance program 

activities.

• Assess partnerships with the private sector and 

host-country governments to ensure successful 

collaboration and program sustainability.

Together, these activities will help strengthen agricultural 

systems and develop new markets for U.S. exports in 

developing countries. USDA will achieve this by working 

with other Federal agencies and foreign counterparts to 

develop and adopt market-based policies and institutions 

to create demand for U.S. exports in strategic markets.
28 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 29

Make Safe, Nutritious Food Available to All Americans

Strategic Goal 4 

populations, and rural and remote populations. 

Apply innovative methods of healthy food 

procurement that include efforts to increase fair 

competition and equitable opportunities for small 

businesses.

• Child Nutrition and Health: Continue reducing food 

hardship while prioritizing nutrition security for 

children who rely on child nutrition programs 

administered across the Nation at schools 

and childcare centers during and after school 

and in summer. Continue supporting program 

administrators at the site level, including food 

service providers.

USDA plays a critical role in preventing foodborne illness and protecting public health, while ensuring 

Americans have access to healthy foods and beverages, 

as well as nutrition education that supports American 

agriculture and inspires public confidence. USDA is 

focused on ensuring that all Americans have consistent 

access to the safe, healthy, affordable foods and 

beverages essential to optimal health and well-being. 

While keeping the food supply safe, the Department 

must also reduce food insecurity and prioritize nutrition 

insecurity, which emphasizes providing Americans not 

just calories, but calories that matter for their health 

and well-being, as well as taking an equity lens to the 

Department’s efforts to make safe, nutritious food 

available to all Americans.

To ensure that the food supply is safe, the Department 

will continue to enhance its food inspection system 

with the goal of reducing illnesses from meat, poultry, 

and egg products and drive compliance with food 

safety regulations. At the same time, USDA’s research, 

education, and extension programs will continue to 

provide science, information, tools, and technologies 

to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness. USDA 

will continue to develop partnerships that support best 

practices in implementing effective programs to ensure 

that eligible populations have access to programs that 

support their nutrition needs. 

USDA’s priorities to ensure that all Americans have 

access to healthy, affordable foods and beverages 

include:

• Food Safety: Ensure the safety of the U.S. meat, 

poultry, and egg product supply, with a focus on 

mobilizing a stronger, more comprehensive effort 

to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with 

poultry products.

• Nutrition Security: Expand access to and increase 

consumption of healthy and nutritious foods and 

beverages by all households, with a focus on racial 

and ethnic minority populations, lower income 

Learning Agenda Alignment

The USDA Learning Agenda contains five 

priority questions aligned to this strategic 

goal from the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer 

Services Mission Area:

• How effective are FNS programs in addressing 

the food hardship crisis caused by COVID-19 

and supporting the transition to post-pandemic 

nutrition program operations?

• To what extent is racial equity incorporated 

into internal FNS operations and the design and 

administration of Federal nutrition assistance 

programs?

• How effective are FNS’s strategies in 

eliminating barriers to access to nutrition 

assistance programs?

• How effective are FNS’s programs in improving 

nutrition security through access to nutritious 

foods?

• What program innovations are most effective 

in strengthening Federal oversight and 

management of Federal nutrition assistance 

programs to further improve integrity, 

accountability, and customer service?
30 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

• Maternal and Infant Health: Focus on innovative 

strategies to enhance the Department’s ability 

to improve maternal and infant health outcomes 

and reduce disparities through the Special 

Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 

Infants, and Children (WIC).

• Program Modernization: Work with partners across 

government to continue modernizing the delivery 

of nutrition program benefits through usercentered service design and more effective use of 

technology.

To accomplish these priorities, USDA relies on its 

sound science, data, and research strategy to benefit all 

Americans. It is fundamental to the Department’s work 

to continue to deliver services and programs effectively, 

efficiently, and with integrity to eligible individuals and 

households to ensure they have access to safe and 

nutritious food.

Objective Leader: Food and Nutrition Service

USDA is committed to ensuring that every American 

has access to nutritious and affordable foods and 

beverages. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is 

responsible for administering Federal domestic nutrition 

assistance programs while linking scientific research 

to the nutrition needs of consumers. The Department 

strives to make benefits accessible to those eligible to 

participate in nutrition assistance programs such as WIC 

and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP). While USDA’s ultimate objective is for economic 

opportunity to make nutrition assistance unnecessary 

for as many individuals and families as possible, the 

Department recognizes that this is not feasible for 

certain populations, such as those with special needs. 

This is a mission that no single agency can meet 

independently. 

All efforts by USDA seek to ensure that nutrition 

assistance programs positively impact the communities 

they serve. The Department will use all available 

opportunities, including new communication 

mechanisms, to serve customers innovatively, offer 

flexibility to partners, and administer programs as 

effectively as possible to serve targeted populations. 

USDA will continue to work with its partners across 

government, non-government organizations, academic 

institutions, and the private sector to implement 

effective programs and ensure that all Americans have 

access to programs that support their nutrition needs.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Study the key factors associated with variations in 

food security rates in persistent-poverty counties 

to better understand the relationship between 

poverty, well-being, and food security. The study 

Spotlight on Science

USDA will continue foundational research on 

the link between agricultural production and 

environmental change, its impact on nutrient 

and non-nutrient components, human health, 

and food safety. It is also working to ensure 

that breeding strategies do not compromise 

nutritional value, linking precision agricultural 

to precision nutrition.

Increase Food Security Through 

Assistance and Access to Nutritious and 

Affordable Food

Objective 4.1
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 31

will include representative surveys and interviews 

in at least six persistent-poverty counties. This 

evaluation is included in the Department-wide FY 

2023 Evaluation Plan. 

• Analyze the extent to which mobile technologies 

affect participant access to SNAP benefits. This 

study will be piloted in up to five States to analyze 

participant access, ease of use, and program 

integrity to facilitate decisions around broadly 

authorizing the use of mobile technologies. This 

evaluation is included in the Department-wide FY 

2023 Evaluation Plan.

• Support improved State agency data collection and 

reporting processes for SNAP Nutrition Education

and promote evidence-based nutrition education 

and obesity prevention interventions through 

a combination of educational strategies and 

social marketing coupled with policy, system, and 

environmental interventions to promote healthy 

eating and active living.

• Leverage existing research, preliminary data, and 

results from rigorous demonstration efforts to 

strengthen Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer

and subsequently implement the Summer 

Electronic Benefit Transfer program to provide 

nutritious meals to children during the summer, 

when only 13.8% of children receiving free and 

reduced-price lunches during the school year 

participates in summer child feeding programs, or 

during school closures. 

• Expand the ability to use WIC benefits via online 

purchasing and support WIC State Agencies 

that are pursuing online ordering and online 

transactions. Bringing these shopping innovations 

to participants is expected to improve the WIC 

shopping experience, increase equity in the 

program by allowing participants to shop like 

all other shoppers, and increase WIC benefit 

redemptions. 

• Conduct research to better understand declines 

in participation in WIC and the role of social, 

economic, and policy contexts of local communities 

(e.g., broadband availability and adoption) in overall 

Federal nutrition assistance program participation.

• Evaluate State agency implementation of The 

Emergency Food Assistance Program Reach 

and Resiliency grants to better understand the 

emergency food landscape and measure the 

ongoing impact of the grants in expanding access to 

the Emergency Food Assistance Program in rural, 

Tribal, and underserved communities.

• Promote and enhance nutrition security by aligning 

benefits with the latest science, modernizing the 

Department’s nutrition assistance programs to 

improve access, and prioritizing equity every step 

of the way.

• Develop a Nutrition Security Promotion Plan and 

create an Administrator Initiative on Nutrition 

Security to chart progress over at least the next 

three years.

• Develop innovative strategies to prioritize nutrition 

security and develop a more diverse, equitable, 

and inclusive pipeline of nutrition professionals 

through collaborative relationships with landgrant universities and stakeholders through a 

variety of programs. These programs include the 

Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, 

Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, 

Community Food Projects, and Agriculture and 

Food Research Initiatives projects. Collaborative 

relationships could cover areas such as diet, health, 

and chronic disease; food and human health; and 

dietary biomarkers, among others. 

• Evaluate the extent to which robotic process 

automation improves the efficiency of SNAP 

application processing. This evaluation is included 

in the Department-wide FY 2023 Evaluation Plan.

Spotlight on Science

USDA is enhancing its research to understand 

disparities of equity within food systems 

and improve understanding of the factors 

influencing food and nutrition security, as well 

as access to and affordability and healthfulness 

of the food supply. Efforts to innovate and 

integrate precision nutrition into agricultural, 

food, nutrition, public health, and dietary 

research will inform future program operations.
32 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leader: Food and Nutrition Service

USDA shapes programs and policies and develops 

knowledge resources to promote healthy eating at 

individual, family, household, and community levels. 

The Department further uses these tools to promote 

fruit and vegetable consumption and other healthy 

eating behaviors through public-private partnerships 

and cutting-edge technologies. The Department is also 

working to improve access to healthful, locally produced 

food in underserved communities through a multifaceted 

strategy focused on food production, distribution, and 

both traditional and non-traditional retail options. 

The Department is committed to working collaboratively 

with other Federal agencies, State partners, and other 

interested stakeholders on an array of strategies to 

reduce childhood obesity and prioritize nutrition 

security. For example, through WIC, USDA is 

encouraging participating mothers to breastfeed their 

infants by strengthening breastfeeding policy and 

program activities. USDA will also work to ensure that 

schools and childcare providers have the resources and 

flexibility to serve top-quality, healthy, and appealing 

meals.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Continue examining the associations between 

participation in WIC and maternal and infant health 

outcomes (e.g., maternal mortality) in partnership 

with the Agency for Healthcare Research and 

Quality. Hold a stakeholder meeting to discuss the 

results of this assessment and plan future studies 

and actions.

• Conduct an analysis of the Farm to School Program, 

which aims to educate students on agriculture, 

food, and nutrition and increase the availability 

of local foods in child nutrition programs. As part 

of this effort, examine disparities in and barriers 

to access to local foods and participation in other 

Farm to School activities.

• Pilot the use of mobile technologies for the 

purpose of accessing SNAP benefits. Through the 

Mobile Payment Pilot, design and execute five 

pilot projects to determine if the use of mobile 

technology should be authorized nationwide. 

Work in collaboration with State Agencies to allow 

some SNAP participants to input their Electronic 

Benefit Transfer card into a mobile device and make 

SNAP purchases at the point-of-sale without the 

presence of the Electronic Benefit Transfer card.

• Develop and launch, using grant funding and in 

collaboration with selected grantees, an online 

ecommerce platform and a suite of services for 

farmers and markets that participate in SNAP. 

Increase the participation of Direct Market 

Farmers and Farmers Markets in SNAP online 

purchasing and provide easier access to fresh 

produce and healthy meal options for SNAP 

recipients.

• Conduct a suite of studies and evaluations of 

USDA child nutrition programs, on topics such as 

the association between meal costs and quality 

and the variation in local school wellness policies 

by the income, racial, or ethnic diversity of the 

school. Conduct single-topic studies with shorter 

timeframes to respond to emerging policy and 

program needs. 

• Carry out additional research and evaluation 

activities identified in the FNS Research and 

Evaluation Plan aligned to this strategic objective.

Spotlight on Science

USDA is utilizing interdisciplinary scientific 

methods such as nutrition anthropology, 

behavioral science, and behavioral economics to 

develop education and outreach that translates 

precision nutrition findings into consumer 

behavior, resulting in healthier food choices 

among different groups and communities.

Encourage Healthy Dietary Choices 

through Data-Driven, Flexible, CustomerFocused Approaches

Objective 4.2
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 33

Objective Leader: Food Safety and Inspection Service

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

is committed to protecting public health, including 

the health of consumers and the safety of workers, by 

ensuring the safety of the Nation’s commercial supply of 

meat, poultry, and egg products. Thousands of inspectors 

across the Nation work to achieve this mission every 

day by verifying industry compliance with U.S. food 

safety regulations. USDA’s regulatory oversight and 

enforcement extends to both imported and domestically 

produced food products and assures consistent 

application of regulations and statutes.

USDA will continue to invest in innovation of its 

inspection strategies, policies, and scientific approaches 

so that fewer people in the U.S. become ill from 

foodborne pathogens. Specifically, Salmonella in poultry 

remains a significant food safety concern in the U.S. 

More than 1 million Salmonella illnesses occur annually, 

with over 23% attributed to poultry consumption. The 

Department is committed to reducing Salmonella 

illnesses associated with poultry products and is 

taking a stronger, more comprehensive approach to 

protecting consumers. USDA is also strengthening 

ongoing collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders 

to enhance and promote food safety. USDA works 

with international partners and standards-setting 

organizations (e.g., the Codex Alimentarius Commission) 

to develop science-based international food safety 

standards, which will help ensure the safety of imported 

foods. 

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Collaborate with the Food and Drug 

Administration, the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention, industry, consumer advocates, 

and academics to identify next steps for reducing 

salmonellosis to reach the Healthy People 2030 

Goals. 

• Approve pilot projects in poultry slaughter and 

processing establishments that will test different 

control strategies for Salmonella contamination 

in poultry products. Begin collection of data that 

will be analyzed by FSIS to determine whether 

it supports changes to the Agency’s existing 

Salmonella control strategies.

• Seek advice from the National Advisory Committee 

for Microbiological Criteria in Foods, an 

independent Federal advisory committee, on how 

FSIS can build on the latest science to improve its 

approach to Salmonella control in poultry.

• Conduct priority research to address data gaps and 

develop new laboratory methods to guide future 

Salmonella policy.

• Conduct research to support USDA programs 

that aim to ensure food safety, including the Food 

Safety Outreach Project and Agriculture and Food 

Research Initiatives, in a variety of areas, such as 

food safety and defense, novel foods and innovative 

manufacturing technologies, and mitigating 

antimicrobial resistance across the food chain.

Spotlight on Science

USDA will leverage cutting-edge technology to 

identify virulence factors in pathogens, including 

antimicrobial resistance, and develop new 

innovations in reducing pathogen occurrence in 

food systems.

 1 Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration, 2021. Foodborne 

illness source attribution estimates for 2019 for Salmonella, 

Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter 

using multi-year outbreak surveillance data, United States. Atlanta, 

Georgia and Washington, District of Columbia: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, CDC, FDA, USDA/FSIS.

Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect 

Public Health

Objective 4.3
34 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 35

Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve 

Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities

Strategic Goal 5

• Invest in Underserved Communities: Ensure 

USDA investments and services are directed to 

persistently poor, socially vulnerable, or high-need 

places, using data to understand who benefits from 

USDA programs and services, in alignment with the 

objectives of the Justice40 Initiative. 

• Foster Innovation and Partnership: Ensure that 

rural and Tribal communities are economically 

competitive, can foster innovation, and leverage 

regional partnerships. 

Rural America provides our Nation’s food and energy resources, produces the fiber for goods 

and manufacturing, contributes more than 35% of 

our Nation’s military members, and operates about 

80% of the Nation’s critical infrastructure lifelines. 

Unfortunately, it is also where the country’s majority of 

underserved communities and persistently poor families 

reside and where repeat disaster losses and climate 

change risks occur. It is also home to the country’s fastest 

aging population, as well as the majority of the Nation’s 

aging infrastructure. USDA is taking bold action to 

promote rural prosperity and economic development by 

providing technical assistance and financing investments 

in rural water, electric, broadband, housing, community 

facilities, local and regional food systems, and rural 

businesses and cooperatives. USDA will leverage funds, 

stimulate private-public partnerships, and collaborate 

with communities to increase economic opportunities in 

underserved communities and build rural infrastructure. 

This includes working with Federal partners and various 

stakeholder groups to help rural and Tribal communities 

thrive. 

USDA’s priorities for improving the quality of life in rural 

and Tribal communities include:

• Build Trust: Prioritize upholding civil rights and 

building trust with underserved communities, 

including Tribal Nations, through equitable and 

inclusive customer service and actions. 

• Reduce Barriers to Access: Design, implement, 

and administer programs in a way that increases 

access and program participation for underserved 

communities, including but not limited to 

communities of color; farmworkers; immigrants; 

refugees; veterans; people with disabilities; 

LGBTQ+ individuals; and young, small-scale, and 

beginning farmers.

Learning Agenda Alignment

The USDA Learning Agenda contains three 

priority questions aligned to this strategic goal 

from the Rural Development Mission Area: 

• What are the short- and long-term economic 

and social impacts of Rural Development 

programs, including indirect and spillover 

effects?

• How effective are existing Rural Development 

initiatives (e.g., eliminating unnecessary 

paperwork, improving stakeholder outreach, 

providing technical assistance to applicants, 

etc.) in improving equitable program access to 

historically disadvantaged and underserved 

communities?

• How can Rural Development more effectively 

partner and leverage its resources to increase 

investments from other government entities, 

the private sector, and philanthropies?
36 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leader: Rural Development

USDA is committed to building infrastructure in 

rural and Tribal America so people can be safe and 

healthy, with the opportunity to drive local and global 

economies no matter where they live. In rural and 

Tribal communities, broadband provides access to jobs, 

banking, and markets for farmers and small businesses. 

USDA will work to bring reliable broadband to rural 

people where they are—in their homes, communities, and 

businesses—to reach areas without sufficient access and 

move the Nation towards 100% high-speed coverage 

for all Americans. The Biden-Harris Administration has 

prioritized the development of broadband infrastructure 

to strengthen education, health care, public services, 

and economic opportunity throughout rural America. 

USDA will further promote healthy communities and 

the sustainable growth and diversification of local rural 

and Tribal economies, as well as increased capacity to 

participate successfully in regional, National, and global 

economies, through investment in health care, education, 

and other community facilities.

These efforts rely on bedrock investments in sustainable, 

reliable power and clean water and sewer systems. 

USDA’s historic work to electrify the Nation continues 

through voluntary investments and risk management 

that will help cut a path to fight climate change while 

maintaining the vitality of rural electric cooperatives. 

Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, 

USDA will upgrade power infrastructure, improve access 

to clean drinking water and sewer systems, and invest in 

strategic rural infrastructure to make these communities 

economically viable and livable, investing in the people 

who need it most.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the 

following implementation strategies, with an 

emphasis on building evidence to inform decisionmaking:

• Strong digital economies enable rural 

communities to chart their own courses 

toward prosperity. Access to broadband 

is at the foundation of digital economy 

ecosystem strategies, which include growing 

the economy with digital jobs, technical 

skill-building, entrepreneurship, and smart 

amenities to retain and attract workingage adults in rural communities. Rural 

Development is committed to exploring 

and implementing innovative approaches to 

supporting the funding of broadband across 

its portfolio of loan and grant programs in 

order to alleviate the rural e-connectivity 

gap. Rural Development is expanding its 

outreach and technical assistance efforts and 

continues to reduce loan processing times 

through the streamlining of work processes 

and staff training.

• Evaluate the impact of USDA broadband 

programs on broadband availability, use, 

economic outcomes (e.g., property values, 

household income, employment) and social 

outcomes (e.g., population growth, health 

care access and availability, telemedicine). 

This evaluation is included in the 

Department-wide FY 2023 Evaluation Plan. 

• Evaluate the impact of the Water and 

Environmental Programs on service 

availability, affordable water quality for 

underserved communities, property values 

(residential, agricultural, and commercial 

property), income and earnings, poverty, and 

population growth across the rural-urban 

continuum. This evaluation is included in the 

Department-wide FY 2023 Evaluation Plan.

• Develop performance indicators to 

measure the extent to which USDA 

leverages funds, stimulates public-private 

partnerships, and engages in collaboration 

Improve Rural and Tribal Community 

Infrastructure, Including Affordable 

E-Connectivity, Cornerstone Community 

Facilities, Sustainable and Reliable Power, 

and Clean and Safe Water and Sewer 

Systems

Objective 5.1
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 37

to build rural infrastructure. This infrastructure 

includes broadband, community facilities, safe 

and affordable housing, and health services and 

facilities.

• Evaluate the collective impact of program 

investments on the socioeconomic well-being of 

rural communities as measured by the Economic 

Innovation Group’s Distressed Communities Index. 

This evaluation is included in the Department-wide 

FY 2023 Evaluation Plan. 

• Develop Key Performance Dashboards to track 

the performance of relevant programs and provide 

actionable information to decision makers.

• Evaluate the impact of Community Facilities 

Program funding on rural hospital closings and 

education (e.g., school quality). This evaluation 

is included in the Department-wide FY 2023 

Evaluation Plan.

Objective Leader: Rural Development

Access to affordable and safe housing is at the 

foundation of strong communities, healthy families, 

and vibrant economies. USDA is committed to ensuring 

that people living in rural and Tribal communities 

have equitable and affordable access to housing. The 

Department is on the frontlines of the affordable 

housing crisis and is committed to ensuring access to 

housing security in rural and Tribal communities. This 

commitment includes not only the building, repairing, 

and preserving of housing, but also reducing barriers 

to accessing housing and maintaining housing security. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA has worked to 

reduce foreclosures and evictions across rural America. 

Under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, USDA 

was provided with funding to provide re-financing 

opportunities to distressed homeowners, as well as vital 

rental assistance to rent-overburdened tenants. 

As USDA works to address rural housing challenges, 

Rural Development will improve delivery of its 

housing programs and resources by embedding key 

Departmental priorities such as climate and equity. 

This includes continuing to identify opportunities to 

make housing more accessible, expanding outreach 

into underserved rural and Tribal communities, and 

committing to creating more sustainable and energy 

efficient housing. In doing so, Rural Development will 

help keep families in rural America financially secure 

in their homes, especially in the face of the COVID-19 

pandemic.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Continue to expand stakeholder participation and 

facilitate the involvement of local, Tribal, and State 

governments to support inclusive rural prosperity 

efforts. This is particularly important to addressing 

Boost the Financial Security of Rural and 

Tribal Communities through Access to 

Affordable Housing

$ Objective 5.2
38 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

the affordable housing crisis and partnering to 

encourage the increase in the production and 

maintenance of single-family houses in rural and 

Tribal areas. 

• Take a holistic approach to leveraging affordable 

housing to grow economic prosperity for rural and 

Tribal communities.

• Conduct analyses of housing stock to identify 

geographies of greatest need for new construction, 

repair, and preservation funding. 

• Implement the Environmental Protection Agency’s 

Portfolio Manager, which will assist in reducing 

baselining energy consumption in USDA multifamily properties. 

• Partner with Federal agencies such as the U.S. 

Department of Energy and the White House 

Council on Environmental Quality to set goals to 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions in rural housing. 

Objective Leader: Rural Development

At USDA, we work to increase prosperity in rural 

communities and for the people who call these 

communities home. We believe that local and Tribal 

governments and nonprofit organizations are critical to 

the success of their communities. Beyond infrastructure, 

these entities are on the front line of local community 

and economic development, and their effectiveness 

is a determining factor in the well-being of their 

communities. Similarly, businesses and cooperatives 

play a critical role in sustaining and growing local 

economies in rural and Tribal areas. However, too many 

local partners struggle to access Federal resources 

and develop public-private partnerships. USDA seeks 

to provide resources that help these local efforts have 

the expertise and staffing needed to tackle hard local 

problems. Capacity building resources include effective 

technical assistance, strategic use of information 

technology, regular and meaningful stakeholder 

engagement, and improved customer experience. USDA 

programs prioritize access to capital and financing 

for businesses and cooperatives in rural and Tribal 

communities to create jobs, grow the tax base, and 

cultivate a diverse, equitable economy. 

In the spirit of building back better, this Administration 

will prioritize economic development and growth in 

rural America by making it central to USDA’s mission. 

The Rural Partners Network, launching in spring 2022, 

is a collaboration among Federal agencies and local 

partners to advance equitable rural prosperity through 

local job creation, infrastructure development, and 

community improvement to benefit everyone who lives 

in a rural community. The Network, led by USDA Rural 

Development, is pursuing this goal by applying a broad 

strategy to make it easier for all rural communities to 

access a full range of Federal programs and funding 

opportunities, as well as by using a focused, localized 

strategy for in-depth, place-based community economic 

development support. 

Spotlight on Science

Valuable data and information can help 

elucidate past and current injustices and 

seek to balance prospects among rural and 

Tribal communities, as well as small operators. 

USDA will examine and ease reporting 

barriers to ensure underserved and hard-toreach populations are included in the Census 

of Agriculture, resulting in a more complete 

profile of the farming population.

Increase Capacity, Sustainability, and 

Economic Vitality in Rural and Tribal 

Communities

$ Objective 5.3
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 39

Under the Rural Partners Network, multiple Federal 

agencies are committing staff, tools, and resources to 

provide communities with a seamless, all-of-government 

experience. Using a complement of technical assistance 

tools and resources, USDA will help boost the 

economic and developmental capacities of the Nation’s 

communities, encouraging long-term rural growth and 

success, especially in communities of need in states, 

Tribes, colonias, and territories.

The Proposed Rural Partnership Program in President 

Biden’s American Jobs Plan will help rural regions, 

including Tribal Nations, build on their unique assets and 

realize their vision for inclusive community and economic 

development. This program will empower rural regions 

by supporting locally led planning and capacity-building 

efforts and by providing flexible funding to meet critical 

needs. 

The Department will harness its vast resources to target 

underserved communities and those who have been 

marginalized to help them realize their full potential. 

Through funding, technical assistance, and focused 

capacity-building initiatives, USDA will bolster the ability 

of rural and Tribal areas to thrive, ensuring sustainable 

growth that builds generational wealth and enriches 

communities.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Collaborate with other Federal agencies, State and 

local governments, non-profits, and the private 

sector on place-based and sector-based strategies 

(e.g., leveraging Federal funds across agencies, 

layering technical assistance, and coordinating 

sectoral development such as food supply chain 

support and outdoor recreation) to more efficiently 

and effectively foster rural prosperity and 

economic development. This will be a focus of the 

new Rural Partners Network.

• Expand technical assistance and access to capital 

for businesses and cooperatives in rural and Tribal 

communities, including the ability to leverage other 

financing opportunities through public-private 

partnerships.

• Improve outreach to underserved and hard-toreach populations, remove barriers to participation, 

and engage rural farming communities to 

participate in the Census of Agriculture.

• Evaluate how to prioritize distressed, underserved, 

persistently-poor, and marginalized communities 

in existing and new programs and tailor assistance 

accordingly.

• Increase access to capital and economic benefits 

in underserved communities through targeted 

technical assistance, improved grants policy, 

Justice40 initiatives, workforce development 

programs, and other such initiatives. More 

information on this implementation strategy can be 

found in the USDA Equity Action Plan.

• Meaningfully expand procurement opportunities 

for small-disadvantaged businesses through 

targeted industry outreach and a renewed 

emphasis on supplier diversity. More information 

on this implementation strategy can be found in the 

USDA Equity Action Plan.

• Strengthen Tribal sovereignty and advance Tribal 

self-determination by improving government-togovernment relations with these communities. 

More information on this implementation strategy 

can be found in the USDA Equity Action Plan.
40 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Promote Environmental Justice by 

Maximizing Sustainable and Green 

Economic Development in Rural and 

Tribal Communities

$

Objective Leader: Rural Development

Rural and Tribal communities are disproportionately 

impacted by the effects of climate change and other 

stressors, such as negative health impacts from air and 

water pollution and disruptions to critical food systems. 

For the many rural Americans whose livelihoods are 

dependent on the agriculture, forestry, and outdoor 

recreation industries, the threat of climate change 

is particularly dire, and these communities are often 

limited in their ability to adapt due to economic or 

social constraints. Growth in green jobs is critical for 

enhancing the sustainable economic growth of these 

communities.

USDA is committed to making meaningful investments 

in rural America that will help pave the way in clean, 

renewable energy infrastructure and production and 

energy efficiency improvements that will create new job 

and market opportunities. The Department will continue 

to leverage existing partnerships with rural and Tribal 

communities to understand the most critical climate 

vulnerabilities and risks, identify barriers to adaptation, 

and develop solutions that promote environmental 

justice and address the causes of climate change. In 

alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s focus 

on equity, USDA will strive to ensure that programs and 

resources intended to mitigate the effects of climate 

change are distributed equitably and are accessible to 

those most in need.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Maximize the benefits of the Justice40-covered 

programs by mapping disadvantaged communities 

using the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), 

awarding priority points for projects that 

support administration priorities like climate 

impact and equity, establishing key performance 

indicators documenting investments to distressed 

communities, engaging communities through 

better outreach, and finding opportunities across 

the Mission Area to advance climate justice aims.

• Increase investment in coal, oil and gas, and power 

plant communities to create good-paying jobs, spur 

economic revitalization, remediate environmental 

degradation, and support energy workers. Rural 

and Tribal communities are disproportionately 

impacted by the effects of climate change and 

other stressors, such as experiencing negative 

health impacts from air and water pollution and 

disruptions to critical food systems. As a member 

of the Interagency Working Group on Coal 

and Power Plant Communities and Economic 

Revitalization, Rural Development is encouraging 

and awarding priority points to projects that 

improve the livelihoods of community residents 

and meet pollution mitigation or clean energy goals. 

This is part of Rural Development’s framework 

for prioritizing projects that address the key 

challenges facing rural America. This funding 

priority supports the Administration’s mission to 

help the people of rural America build back better, 

by helping them recover economically from the 

impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, by ensuring 

all rural residents have equitable access to Rural 

Development programs, and by reducing climate 

pollution and increasing resiliency to the impacts of 

climate change.

• Explore the impact of infrastructure investments 

on greenhouse gas emissions through an 

assessment of the Rural Utilities Service. Explore 

how the impact of dollars invested can be 

measured and captured post-project completion 

without creating unnecessary burden on program 

recipients.

• Lead efforts across the Research, Education, and 

Economic Mission Areas to catalog all climate 

and environmental science programs supporting 

disadvantaged communities. Identify metrics to 

track the benefits of such programs to program 

recipients.

Objective 5.4
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 41

• Monitor and assess the recreational use of National 

Forest System lands to identify areas of greater 

use, determine how National Forest Service lands 

are currently being used, and inform resource 

decisions.

• Improve performance measurement around 

recreation to reflect inclusive and increase access 

to communities of diversity. This includes reviewing 

current surveying methods and implementing 

additional questions around visitor experience, 

demographics, etc. and reviewing and revising 

current outreach methods to ensure inclusivity and 

access. 
42 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 43

Attract, Inspire, and Retain an Engaged and Motivated Workforce 

that’s Proud to Represent USDA 

Strategic Goal 6

civil rights; advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and 

accessibility; and create a culture that respects, 

welcomes, and supports all employees, including 

LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. 

• Time Management and Process Improvement: 

Encourage all employees to be creative and 

innovative with an eye towards improving existing 

processes and systems to reduce processing times 

and paperwork, build trust in government, and 

ensure time is well spent. 

• Science, Data, Evaluation and Continual Learning: 

Strive to be a data-driven, customer experiencecentered, learning organization that embraces 

innovation, makes smart and equitable decisions 

about technology and procurement, builds an 

infrastructure for the challenges of today and 

tomorrow, insists on continuous improvement, and 

listens to feedback. 

At USDA, we are committed to reaching new heights by recruiting, onboarding, supporting, and retaining 

a diverse and talented workforce and cultivating a 

workplace environment that is collaborative, serviceoriented, mission-centered, healthy, inclusive, and 

welcoming. This includes leaders and staff who work 

together to build a culture that welcomes, respects, and 

supports everyone in reaching their highest potential 

by ensuring equal opportunity compliance, providing 

proactive civil rights, and championing USDA’s zerotolerance policy for unlawful discrimination and sexual 

harassment for all employees. We believe this focus 

on organizational culture will enable us to build the 

USDA back better as a premier organization and model 

employer that lives by its values. 

As the landscape of talent continues to evolve, it is 

imperative that USDA seek to continuously find ways to 

attract talent that represents the diversity of America. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has also catapulted leaders 

to rethink and reimagine where and how we work. In 

the coming years, we will build on best practices for a 

hybrid work environment and continue to evaluate the 

future of work at USDA. As such, we are committed to 

being a learning organization that tolerates risk-taking, 

explores the untested and unknown, and nurtures 

innovative ideas at all levels of the organization. We will 

prioritize learning and training throughout the employee 

experience at USDA.

USDA’s strategies to make the Department a great place 

for everyone to work and an employer of choice include: 

• Employee Health, Wellness, and Safety: Prioritize 

employee health and safety and take concrete steps 

to support employee wellness and mental health. 

• Modern Workplace: Reimagine how we work using 

new tools such as data dashboards to make datadriven decisions and create sustainable efficiencies 

around process and business operations. 

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility: Uphold 
44 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: All Mission Areas and Agencies

USDA is committed to the values of equity and 

inclusion, rooted in justice and equal opportunity for our 

employees and those we serve. Under the leadership 

of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department is 

taking bold, historic action to root out generations of 

systemic racism, deeply integrate equity into decisionmaking and policymaking, and build equitable systems 

and programming for all Americans. USDA is standing up 

an independent Equity Commission to examine USDA 

programs and services and make recommendations 

as to how the Department can advance equity by 

reducing barriers to access for historically undeserved 

communities. The Department also launched its 

inaugural Racial Justice and Equity Internal Working 

Group to review internal systems and processes and 

identify inequities, challenges, and opportunities for 

improvement.

Understanding how USDA both advances and inhibits 

equity and opportunity for our existing and potential 

customers requires employees at every level to listen 

carefully to and meaningfully engage customers; build 

relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders and 

partners; take a critical look at our data; and examine 

the design, implementation, and impact of programs 

and systems throughout the Department. From 

equitable contracting and procurement decisions to 

the implementation of staffing plans including diverse 

recruiting, hiring, training, rewarding, and promoting, 

there are opportunities for equity throughout. As we 

strengthen the culture and support for our workforce, 

USDA has a responsibility to attract and invest in the 

next generation of agricultural leaders through a premier 

internship experience. USDA leaders will make time 

and space for internal review and reflection so that we 

can build an organization, culture, and workforce with 

the necessary skills and tools to ensure knowledge 

management, efficiency, and inclusion. 

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on 

accountability and building evidence to inform decisionmaking:

• Implement “Future of Work” strategies that enable 

USDA to effectively oversee and implement staff, 

operations, and program delivery in a hybrid 

environment. This should include a synergistic 

relationship between administrative and program 

leaders and staff. 

• Establish and build a community of senior 

executives, hiring managers, supervisors, and 

leadership teams who are well-equipped and 

prepared to implement and drive cultural changes 

with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA); 

transparency; and accountability in mind.

• Institutionalize employee engagement strategies, 

foster idea sharing, and ensure diverse 

perspectives are truly welcome in every Agency 

and program. 

• Facilitate a productive and collaborative 

relationship with union officials.

• Leverage best practices and system changes that 

ensure the work environment is safe, respectful, 

inclusive, free from harassment, and enables all 

leaders and employees to cross-collaborate and do 

their best work. 

• Develop workforce strategies that intentionally 

utilize Equal Employment Opportunity 

Management Directive 715 and the Federal 

Employee Viewpoint Survey to inform DEIA actions 

and leverage special hiring authorities to efficiently 

drive urgent equity outcomes. More information 

on this implementation strategy can be found in the 

USDA Equity Action Plan.

Foster a Culture of Civil Rights, 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, 

Transparency, and Accountability

Objective 6.1
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 45

Objective Leaders: All Mission Areas and Agencies

The Department strives to make USDA a great place 

to work for everyone, with a focus on restoring the 

confidence and morale of the workforce following the 

COVID-19 pandemic. Through their mission delivery, 

engaged and empowered employees will find creative 

solutions to unexpected challenges; they will bring 

innovation to their customer service delivery; they will 

display curiosity and collaboration across Agency and 

Mission Area lines; they will celebrate each other’s 

thoughts and experiences; and they will serve as 

ambassadors to recruit and retain a talented workforce 

that will ensure USDA’s continued future success and 

evolution. 

To maintain a high-performing, customer-centric 

workforce, USDA will continue to foster a work 

environment that maximizes employee performance, 

which is directly tied to an individual’s level of 

empowerment and engagement. Through mutual 

respect and collaboration, USDA leadership will make 

the Department a safe, fair, and rewarding workplace for 

all employees. We want USDA staff to be passionate and 

engaged, carrying out the important work every day that 

will help move our Nation forward.

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Develop and implement a DEIA strategic plan that 

will enable USDA to hire, train, retain, and manage 

diverse talents who are able to serve and represent 

the communities we serve.

• Assess staff recruitment and selection practices as 

they relate to DEIA to develop partnerships and 

improved outreach strategies aimed at increasing 

access to workforce development opportunities.

• Conduct a review of position descriptions and 

scope and complexity of duties to perform 

statistical and comparative analyses of USDA in 

relation to similar positions in the labor market.

• Strategically utilize existing youth and workforce 

development programs such as Job Corps Civilian 

Conservation Centers, Public Land Corps, Land 

Grant University Partnerships, and other special 

hiring authorities as diverse talent pipelines to 

meet USDA’s increasing talent demands. 

• Implement internal DEIA training, dialogue, 

and other tools and resources to enable the 

USDA workforce to improve customer service in 

underserved communities. More information on 

this implementation strategy can be found in the 

USDA Equity Action Plan.

• Integrate coordinated stakeholder engagement, 

diversity outreach, and customer feedback as 

standard practices in process improvement 

and program delivery. More information on this 

implementation strategy can be found in the USDA 

Equity Action Plan.

• Ensure that Federal Advisory Committee Act 

committees and boards become more diverse over 

time through creative recruitment strategies. More 

information on this implementation strategy can be 

found in the USDA Equity Action Plan.

• Assess needs and provide translated outreach 

materials and translation services for underserved 

communities and customers that have limited 

English proficiency. More information on this 

implementation strategy can be found in the USDA 

Equity Action Plan.

Establish a Customer-Centric, Inclusive, 

High-Performing Workforce that is 

Representative of America and the 

Communities We Serve

Spotlight on Science

USDA’s science agencies are leading efforts to 

build a workforce pipeline of diverse, nimble, 

and resilient Science, Technology, Engineering, 

and Mathematics employees through the 

expansion of degree, certificate, curriculum, and 

youth programs that will support the research 

workforce of the future.

Objective 6.2
46 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Objective Leaders: All Mission Areas and Agencies

The Department strives to fully leverage modern 

human-centered design, data, technology, and digital 

services to provide our internal and external customers 

with easy-to-navigate online tools to increase access 

to our critical programs and services. Enterprise-wide 

shared technology and data services will help increase 

the Department’s capacity to make data-driven policy 

decisions, track progress, and support evidence-building 

within USDA’s research and statistical agencies, while 

also increasing data shared with external researchers. 

Increasing shared services and modernizing legacy IT 

systems will move the Department towards a future 

where customer-facing programs are seamlessly 

integrated with back-end IT that can be continually 

modified in response to changing customer needs. 

USDA is making better use of data and enabling 

advanced analytics, such as geospatial modeling, to 

improve the delivery of services and programs. The 

Department’s enterprise data and analytics platform 

is bringing data together from across different parts 

of the organization to support cross-cutting analytics. 

The capabilities of data scientists and analysts have 

been expanded with the development of a data science 

workbench, which enables advanced analytics needed 

for more sophisticated insights. 

Cybersecurity is a foundational shared service and 

represents a core component of improving digital service 

delivery and internal systems by ensuring secure, reliable 

access to USDA products and services. 

Implementation Strategies

USDA will achieve this objective through the following 

implementation strategies, with an emphasis on building 

evidence to inform decision-making:

• Initiate creation of a centralized USDA Research/

Researcher tool to improve customer experience 

and increase access to information about the 

Department’s research efforts.

• Launch four pilot programs in support of Executive 

Order No. 14058 to digitize service delivery to the 

American public from end to end using customer 

experience best practices.

• Invest in the modernization of the IT workforce 

to support a customer-center, data-driven 

environment.

• Streamline program policies and modernize 

application systems reduce barriers, increase 

access, and improve the customer experience. 

More information on this implementation strategy 

can be found in the USDA Equity Action Plan.

• Continue the adoption of the USDA enterprise 

cloud platform by NASS, NRCS, and the Risk 

Management Agency and other Agencies to enable 

greater access to data for collaboration, enhanced 

analytics and reporting capabilities, and new data 

sharing capabilities with external stakeholders and 

researchers. 

• Deliver data analytics, dashboards, and other data 

visualizations to support data-driven decisionmaking for Department-wide priorities such as 

climate, Justice40, and equity to present integrated 

views into USDA programs and services supporting 

these executive priorities.

• Create a centralized hub for geospatial data 

and applications at USDA to allow customers 

to integrate remote sensing, survey, trade, fire 

management, forestry, emergency response, 

climate change, underserved communities, and 

other data and applications.

• Advance initiatives to harmonize the deployment of 

Unmanned Aerial Systems to support emergency 

response, smart agriculture, and employee safety, 

while ensuring the cybersecurity of the supporting 

technologies.

• Develop initiatives to optimize geospatial data 

pipelines to put big data and advanced analytics at 

the reach of USDA customers so they can easily 

leverage geospatial data products from the new 

generation of earth observing satellites and other 

remote sensing devices.

Promote USDA Operational Excellence 

Through Better Use of Technology and 

Shared Solutions

Objective 6.3
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 47

• Implement a modern USDA enterprise 

communications network that consolidates 17 

fragmented, disparate Agency networks into a 

higher-performing, modern, and more secure 

enterprise network that enables increased data 

sharing, improved USDA customer service, and a 

combined savings and cost avoidance more than 

$500 million over the next 11 years.

• Continue to partner with USDA Mission Areas 

and industry to embrace shared cloud services, 

reflecting best practices for increased data sharing 

and customer experience.

• Continue to pursue automation via the Robotics 

Process Automation and internal systems and tools 

development and enhancement to simultaneously 

reduce cost associated with repetitive or 

administrative activities or reduce cycle times, thus 

improving customer experience.

• Strengthen the USDA cybersecurity posture 

through continuous process improvement, policy 

revision, and the implementation of modern 

enterprise cyber technologies.

• Improve how we collect, analyze, and measure 

cybersecurity data by centralizing security 

information and event management, while also 

improving reporting of cybersecurity data.

• Optimize the real-time visibility of vulnerabilities 

for improved detection and incident response using 

end point management tools.

• Integrate firewall and network security capabilities 

across USDA Mission Areas, with the goal of 

achieving $2.4 million in cost savings.

• Continue collaboration between the Client 

Experience Center and Office of Customer 

Experience to better understand the customer 

journey and begin the development of a Customer 

Relationship Management capability.

• Implement common shared services and innovative 

solutions to increase agility and Service Level 

Agreements with Mission Areas. These include: the 

Enterprise Depot, which delivers customer-centric 

capabilities to keep people productive regardless 

of where they work; and Managed Print Services, 

which delivers an enormous economy of scale for 

printing.
48 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

AMS Agricultural Marketing Service

ARS Agricultural Research Service

APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

CACFP Child and Adult Care Food Program

CAP Corrective Action Plans

CRP Conservation Reserve Program

DEIA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

E&T SNAP Education and Training

EAWG Evidence Act Working Group

ERS Economic Research Service

Evidenc e Act Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018

FAS Foreign Agriculture Service

FDCH Family Day Care Homes

FDPIR Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

FLP Farm Loan Program

FNCS Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

FNS Food and Nutrition Service

FPAC Farm Production and Conservation

FSA Farm Service Agency

FSIS Food Safety and Inspection Service

FY Fiscal year

GAO Government Accountability Office

HHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

LEP Limited English Proficiency

NASS National Agricultural Statistics Service

NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service

OBPA Office of Budget and Program Analysis

OCE Office of the Chief Economist

OCS Office of the Chief Scientist

OMB Office of Management and Budget

R&D Research and development

RPIC Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge

SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

SY School year

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

Acronyms and Abbreviations
USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN 49
50 USDA FY 2022 – 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN

Additional copies of this Strategic Plan can be downloaded from USDA’s Web site at: www.usda.gov

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating 

in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national 

origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, 

marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, 

or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by 

USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program 

or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA 

through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made 

available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, 

AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or 

write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. 

To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter 

to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: 

program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Issued March 2022