USDA has the unique responsibility of coordinating Federal assistance to rural areas of the Nation. The Rural Economic and Community Development mission is to help rural Americans improve the quality of their lives.
To do this, USDA is working closely with the private and nonprofit sectors and with state, tribal, and local governments to fundamentally change the way government works. With this new philosophy of public partnership...this new relationship among Government, industry, and communities...many positive outcomes for rural Americans are realized daily.
Now, and in the future, prosperity in rural America depends on ensuring that residents have a wide range of economic opportunities. Rural America's historic strengths -- agriculture and forestry -- will continue as one part of the picture.
USDA works to make sure that rural citizens can participate fully in the global economy -- with technical assistance and programs that help rural Americans build strong economies to improve their quality of life.
USDA also helps rural communities meet their basic needs by:
A new and sharper focus on rural development took shape with passage of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994. Rural development work is focused in three new organizations reporting to the Under Secretary for Rural Economic and Community Development: