The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, 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. The USDA coordinates with state governments through joint efforts such as the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The department was created in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The new agency originally comprised seven bureaus: botany; chemistry; entomology; experimental stations; patents; plant industry; soils; and weather bureaux. In May 1889, these bureaus were consolidated into a single entity called the Division of Agrostology which operated until 1923 when it was renamed the Bureau of Agrostology. In 1933, this bureau was transferred to the newly created United States Department of the Interior where it became the Grazing Service. In 1940, this service was merged with other agencies to form the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) which still operates today as part of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
In 1953, Congress establishedthe Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) which promotes U.S. agricultural exports overseas through a number of activities including market development, technical assistance, export financing and monitoring international developments that affect U.S. export markets