GAO provided information on its Food and Agriculture issue area plan for fiscal years 1997 through 1999.

GAO plans to: (1) assess how effectively the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is implementing its market transition activities to make U.S. agriculture less dependent on federal subsidies; (2) streamline USDA to improve efficiency in service delivery; (3) reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in agriculture programs; (4) promote the use of alternative delivery mechanisms, such as privatizing and charging user fees; (5) identify ways to ensure that food and nutrition assistance program are effective; and (6) ensure that USDA effectively inspects the food supply, meets farm and rural credit needs, and responds to the environmental impacts of agricultural production.