Farm Program Research
RCED-93-48R: Published: Oct 7, 1992. Publicly Released: Oct 7, 1992.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on: (1) barriers to the use of alternative, less environmentally intrusive agricultural practices; and (2) farm commodity programs' impact on rural communities. GAO noted that: (1) the two paradigms within the agricultural sector are conventional and sustainable agricultural practices; (2) conventional agriculture utilizes specialized farming and cropping systems and relies on chemicals for pest control and soil fertilization; (3) sustainable agriculture attempts to integrate plant and animal production practices, satisfy human food and fiber needs, enhance environmental quality, efficiently use nonrenewable resources, sustain the viability of farm operations, and raise farmers' and societies' living standards; (4) barriers to sustainable agriculture include farmers' inability to grow other crops and implement diverse rotations; (5) Congress has enacted provisions allowing program farmers to independently plant 15 percent of their base acreage while remaining eligible for the program; (6) federal taxes, farm credits, and environmental policies also affect production decisions; (7) farm commodity programs have kept moderate-sized farmers in the farm sector; and (8) little evidence has been shown linking farm commodity programs with declines in rural farming communities.
Jan 15, 2021
Farmworkers:
Additional Information Needed to Better Protect Workers from Pesticide ExposureGAO-21-63: Published: Jan 15, 2021. Publicly Released: Jan 15, 2021.
Nov 20, 2020
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Food Safety:
CDC Could Further Strengthen Its Efforts to Identify and Respond to Foodborne IllnessesGAO-21-23: Published: Oct 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 20, 2020.
Nov 16, 2020
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Farm Programs:
USDA Has Improved Its Completion of Eligibility Compliance Reviews, but Additional Oversight Is NeededGAO-21-95: Published: Oct 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 16, 2020.
Sep 16, 2020
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Agriculture Spending:
Opportunities Exist for USDA to Identify Successes and Challenges of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program to Inform Future EffortsGAO-20-711R: Published: Sep 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 16, 2020.
Sep 14, 2020
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USDA Market Facilitation Program:
Information on Payments for 2019GAO-20-700R: Published: Aug 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 14, 2020.
Aug 10, 2020
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National Bio and Agro-defense Facility:
DHS and USDA Are Working to Transfer Ownership and Prepare for Operations, but Critical Steps RemainGAO-20-331: Published: Jul 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 2020.
May 7, 2020
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Food Safety:
FDA and USDA Could Strengthen Existing Efforts to Prepare for Oversight of Cell-Cultured MeatGAO-20-325: Published: Apr 7, 2020. Publicly Released: May 7, 2020.
Apr 13, 2020
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Priority Open Recommendations:
U.S. Department of AgricultureGAO-20-288PR: Published: Apr 6, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2020.
Dec 23, 2019
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Nutrition Assistance Programs:
Agencies Could Do More to Help Address the Nutritional Needs of Older AdultsGAO-20-18: Published: Nov 21, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 23, 2019.
Dec 6, 2019
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Imported Seafood Safety:
Actions Needed to Improve FDA Oversight of Import Alert Removal DecisionsGAO-20-62: Published: Nov 6, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 6, 2019.
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