Farming in the Dark: Unreliable USDA Data Jeopardizes a Sustainable Farming Transition
In today’s analytics-driven world, it rarely feels like a lack of data is a concern. And yet, as farmers struggle to adjust to a changing climate that has led to an increased frequency of droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events, incomplete or inaccurate public data has become a growing concern, and federal programs designed to provide farmers with information have been pared back. The Trump administration has decreased funding and staffing levels for federal agencies, which has likely reduced their capacity for data collection. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) eliminated public surveys such as the Agriculture Farm Labor Survey (FLS) and the Household Food Security Report, while others have been cut back. Programs designed to provide technical assistance, such as the USDA Climate Hubs, have seen funding slashed.