The Department of Agriculture
The United States department of Agriculture (known as the USDA) was founded by President
Abraham Lincoln in 1862. Its founding was due to a long term and culminating trend in the
United States of increasing complexity and competitiveness in Agriculture. Initially, the agency
was responsible for the scouting and import of more effective crop seeds, as well as
incorporation of new chemical techniques. Since then, the department has expanded to hosting
its own scientific facilities and producing subsequent discoveries, as well as offering subsidies to
farmers and managing international agricultural trade.
The current Director of the USDA Sonny Perdue is recently appointed, having been nominated
by President Donald Trump in January 2017. Since the Agency’s founding, its functions have
expanded notably, where it now is responsible for the following tasks: addressing the needs of
ranchers and farmers, encouraging crop output and international trade, regulating food safety,
monitoring and regulating the effects of agriculture on the natural environment, and working
towards ending hunger in both the United States and abroad. As the department oversees most
affair relating to food consumption and economy, it is responsible for the implementation and
oversight of a large number of laws, which can be found at the bottom of the posting.
I believe the department of agriculture is a highly important agency for several reasons. Firstly,
food is one of the most essential elements of life, and as such any agency that oversees is
safety, availability, and its laborers is crucial to any modern society. Secondly, agricultural
