What are the USDA Climate Hubs?
USDA's Climate Hubs are a unique collaboration across the department's agencies. They are led and hosted by theAgricultural Research ServiceandForest Servicelocated at ten regional locations,with contributions from many agencies including theNatural Resources Conservation Service,Farm Service Agency, and theRisk Management Agency. The Climate Hubs link USDA research and program agencies in their regionaldelivery of timely and authoritative tools and information to agricultural producers and professionals.
Vision
Robust and healthy agricultural production and natural resources under increasing climate variability and climate change.
Mission
The mission of the Climate Hubs is to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies, with USDA agencies and partners, to agricultural and natural resource managers that enable climate-informed decision-making, and to provide access to assistance to implement those decisions. This is in alignment with the USDA mission to provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.
What do the Climate Hubs do?
- Provide periodic regional assessments of risk and vulnerability to production sectors and rural economies. This includes writing portions of or contributing to the National Climate Assessment prepared by the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).
- Support applied research and development and innovation partnerships for risk management and climate change response.
- Work closely with extension organizations, universities, technical service providers, and the private sector to be a source of user-friendly information developed froma wide variety of sources.
- Deliver science-based agriculture, forestry, and land management tools and strategies for responding to impacts of a changing climate such as drought, extreme weather events, and changing growing seasons.
- Improve access to usable regional data and climate change projections and forecasts in support of risk management and climate adaptation planning.
- Provide coordinated technical support to supplement USDA agriculture and land management program delivery, especially to underserved and vulnerable communities, tribes, and individuals.
- Provide outreach and education to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners on science-based risk management.
- Educate natural and agriculture resource managers on the latest understanding of climate science and the effects of climate change on working lands.
- Engage with our stakeholders and partners in innovative and interactive ways to help lower the barriers to adaptation, manage risk, and enhance rural productivity.
The USDA Climate Hubs are overseen at the national level by an Executive Committee comprised of senior program leaders from across the Department. The Executive Committee guides, focuses, and facilitates the mission of the Climate Hubs and secures resources for activities and implementation. Each Climate Hub has a Director who oversees the regional implementation of the Hubs mission, including regional program priorities, staffing, budgeting, and evaluation.
To learn more about the Climate Hub governance read the founding Charter.
FAQs
The mission of the Climate Hubs is to develop and deliver science-based, region-specific information and technologies, with USDA agencies and partners, to agricultural and natural resource managers that enable climate-informed decision-making, and to provide access to assistance to implement those decisions.
Who funds the USDA? ›
Each year federal agencies receive funding from Congress, known as budgetary resources . In FY 2024, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) had $390.23 Billion distributed among its 22 sub-components. Agencies spend available budgetary resources by making financial promises called obligations .
Who runs USDA? ›
Tom Vilsack serves as the Nation's 30th Secretary of Agriculture.
How many employees does the USDA have? ›
Staff Offices
USDA is made up of 29 agencies and offices with nearly 100,000 employees who serve the American people at more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad.
What is the motto of the USDA? ›
“As public servants, our greater understanding of these important rules will help serve USDA's mission and our motto to 'Do right and feed everyone' so that we enhance the American public's confidence in the integrity and important work of the Department of Agriculture.”
Is USDA government owned? ›
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and production, works to assure food safety, protects natural resources, fosters rural ...
What does the USDA spend their money on? ›
The remaining $39.9 billion, or 19.1 percent, of outlays Page 7 2 2022 USDA BUDGET SUMMARY are for discretionary programs such as: the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), food safety, rural development loans and grants, research and education, soil and water conservation ...
Is the USDA a private company? ›
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a federal agency that plays a major role in rural development, particularly housing. It also oversees and implements programs related to the farming, ranching, and forestry industries and regulates food quality and safety, and nutrition labeling.
Who investigates the USDA? ›
OIG Criminal Investigators conduct investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse involving USDA programs, operations, and personnel. OIG Criminal Investigators are authorized to make arrests, execute warrants, and carry firearms.
What committee oversees the USDA? ›
U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
The committee establishes federal agricultural policy and provides funding to support agricultural research and development, from the Pure Food & Drug Act for food safety standards to the creation and maintenance of Agricultural Experiment Stations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture finally has a 2024 budget. After months of delays, Congress managed to pass six spending bills funding government agencies through the end of the fiscal year.
Why is the job of the USDA so important? ›
We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.
Why was USDA created? ›
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a United States executive department established in 1862 in order to "provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management."
What is the nickname of the USDA? ›
Did you know the U.S. Department of Agriculture is nicknamed The People's Department? The name was given to the agency by President Abraham Lincoln, who established the USDA in 1862.
Which president started the USDA? ›
Founded in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an act of Congress establishing the United States Department of Agriculture.
What did Lincoln call the USDA? ›
Two and a half years after he established the Department, in what would be his final annual message to Congress, Lincoln called USDA "The People's Department."
Does USDA run out of funds? ›
The funds are appropriated for the Government's fiscal year, which runs from October 1 until September 30 of the following year. The amount of money appropriated by Congress does not always meet the demand for loan funds and the Agency may run out of money for some programs.
Who funds most of agricultural research? ›
The Federal Government provides 64 percent of public agricultural research and development (R&D) funding in the United States. State governments and non-governmental sources, including funds generated by the universities themselves, account for the other 36 percent of funds for public agricultural R&D.
Where does the money for a grant come from? ›
Where does the money come from? The two primary sources of grant money are public and private funds. Public funds are obtained from governmental units, such as federal, state, and local agencies.
