Summary: A combination of environmental and economic pressures caused by increased global competition and the escalating price of agrichemicals has spurred the federal government, farmers, and the agriculture industry to seek more globally competitive, profitable, and ecologically sound ways to produce food and fiber. This movement to alternative farming methods is called sustainable agriculture. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has several programs to encourage sustainable agriculture, the responsibility for these programs is fragmented among various USDA officials, with no single entity overseeing and coordinating these activities. Because USDA lacks a policy that would provide direction on sustainable agriculture, program goals often conflict with one another and program coordination varies. In addition to discussing sustainable agriculture efforts in general, GAO specifically examines USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and makes recommendations to improve these programs.
