“
Wouldn’t it be better to just eliminate the USDA? What is their purpose?”
Their (the USDA's) purpose is the public health and safety. Which is not within the purview of a government concerned with the affairs of a federation of independent states. Its Constitution does not contain that power within the enumeration of powers accorded the Federal Government save the barring of dangers to the public health and safety that might emanate from foreign sources (the introduction, for instance, of contagious diseases brought in by immigrants). The public health and safety is otherwise the responsibility of the states.
The given reason, of course, departs markedly from the real reason.
Th rough these objectives, USDA will strive to:
• Expand international trade for agricultural products
and support international economic development;
• Expand domestic marketing opportunities
for agricultural products and strengthen risk
management, the use of fi nancial tools, and the
provision of sound information to help farmers and
ranchers in their decision-making process;
• Further develop alternative markets for agricultural
products and activities;
• Provide fi nancing needed to help expand job
opportunities and improve housing, utilities and
infrastructure in rural America;
• Enhance food safety by taking steps to reduce the
prevalence of foodborne hazards from farm to table
and safeguard agriculture from natural and intentional
threats;
• Improve nutrition by providing food assistance and
nutrition education and promotion; and
• Manage and protect America’s public and private
lands working cooperatively with other levels of
government and the private sector.
http://www.ocfo.usda.gov/usdasp/sp2005/sp2005.pdf
Much of it seems to overlap other federal bureaucracies. There is so much redundancy in federal departments. No wonder we are drowning in debt.