United States Department of Agriculture
 Seal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture | |
 Logo of the U.S. Department of Agriculture | |
 Flag of the U.S. Department of Agriculture | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 15, 1862 Cabinet status: February 15, 1889 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Jurisdiction | U.S. federal government |
| Headquarters | Jamie L. Whitten Building 1301 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 38°53′17″N 77°1′48″W / 38.88806°N 77.03000°WCoordinates: 38°53′17″N 77°1′48″W / 38.88806°N 77.03000°W |
| Employees | 105,778 (June 2007) |
| Annual budget | US$151 billion (2017) |
| Agency executives | |
| Website | USDA.gov |
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), also known as the Agriculture Department, is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger in the United States and internationally.
Approximately 80% of the USDA's $141 billion budget goes to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) program. The largest component of the FNS budget is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp program), which is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance.
The current Secretary of Agriculture is Sonny Perdue.