Other Ag News: Comment: Without Input from Farmers and Experts, USDA Reorganization Would Close Offices and Lead to Staff Reductions

Contact: Laura Zaks

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

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Comment: Without Input from Farmers and Experts, USDA Reorganization Would Close Offices and Lead to Staff Reductions

Washington, DC, July 24, 2025 – On Thursday, July 24, the US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, announced a reorganization of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The reorganization, announced through a 5-page memorandum, is short on details of how its proposals would improve the circumstances of farmers. The memorandum offers no timeline for the reorganization. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition issued the following comment attributable to Mike Lavender, Policy Director: 

“Without input from farmers, the proposed USDA reorganization would close offices and lead to further staff reductions – and ultimately farmers would pay the price. Improving USDA to better serve farmers and ranchers is a noble undertaking – but today’s announcement fails to connect the dots between a mass staff relocation and the resultant staff loss, and expanded economic opportunity for all farmers and ranchers. USDA should immediately pause the reorganization to gather public comment about what farmers and ranchers really need – and Congress should halt the reorganization until USDA can clearly demonstrate the benefit to farmer livelihoods from coast to coast.”

Since January 2025, nearly 2,000 employees have left USDA and an additional 15% have opted into the Deferred Resignation Program. This means a total of nearly 18,000 fewer USDA employees are now serving America’s farmers compared to earlier this year. Previous relocations of USDA offices, most notably the 2019 relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, led to years-long reduced output and lower staffing levels.

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About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more: https://sustainableagriculture.net/

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