Climate Change & the USDA: Agency Efforts, Challenges & Plans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) climate change priorities for agriculture include, among other things, providing better information to farmers on future climate conditions. These priorities generally align with national priorities set by the Administration, which include promoting actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advancing climate science, developing tools for decision makers, and developing better projections of future climate conditions. In 2012, the United States produced about $395 billion in agricultural commodities, with about half of this revenue from crop sales and half from livestock. This book examines USDA’s climate change priorities and how these align with national priorities; the status of USDA’s climate change efforts, and; the challenges USDA faces in implementing its climate efforts and the steps it has taken to overcome these challenges. This book also discusses the U.S. Department of Agriculture Climate Change Adaptation Plan’s strategies and actions to address the effects of climate change on key mission areas including agricultural production, food security, rural development, and forestry and natural resources conservation.