What Does USDA Stand for?

USDA is the acronym for the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA is the government agency responsible for all U.S. policy regarding agriculture, food and farming. The organization is headed by the Secretary of Agriculture, who, as of October 2010, is Tom Vilsack.

History

• The USDA was established in 1862 during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. In 1889, President Grover Cleveland made the head of the USDA a member of the president's cabinet, elevating the importance of the organization.

Essential functions

• The USDA is responsible for the country's farming, promoting good nutrition, helping set federal agricultural policy and food safety. The organization sets policies for plants that manufacture and process food, along with farms that grow edible products.

Important Legislation

• The USDA has been responsible for several different laws that have impacted how we eat today. Chief among them are the Meat Inspection Act of 1890, which ensures food safety; the Food Stamp Act of 1964 that gives nutrition assistance to low income families and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 that governs the nation's farming through 2012.