On Feb. 24, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14017 on “America's Supply Chains,” which directed several federal agency actions to secure and strengthen U.S. supply chains.
One of these directions was for the Agriculture secretary to submit, within one year, submit a report to the president that assesses the supply chains for the production of agricultural commodities and food products.
On the one-year anniversary last week of the Executive Order, USDA published a one-year report that outlines the risks and resilience of U.S. agri-food supply chains and identifies potential solutions to address vulnerabilities. This assessment involved extensive input and review by USDA subject matter specialists, consultations with other federal agencies, and recommendations obtained through a public comment process. The report outlines actions to:
- Strengthen data and market intelligence to enhance USDA’s understanding of supply chains and address disruptions early, reducing impacts on individuals and communities;
- Diversify critical supply chain infrastructure, expand local and regional programs, and enable more and better markets for producers and consumers;
- Support a level playing field to enable competition;
- Improve working conditions and overcome critical labor shortages in farm and affiliated agri-food industries;
- Help farmers adapt to climate change;
- Strengthen response preparedness to animal and crop pest and disease threats;
- Rebuild critical transportation infrastructure for moving bulk commodities and specialty products;
- Boost agricultural exports, which stimulates local economic activity, helps maintain our competitive edge globally, and supports producers’ bottom lines; and
- Embed equity principles throughout our actions to ensure that our programs, services and decisions reflect the values of equity and inclusion.
Report
Resources
In April 2021, USDA requested comments and information from the public to assist the USDA in preparing the report required by the Executive Order. Through this notice, USDA also requested public comment on how stimulus relief programs and spending related to food supply chain resilience as authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) can help to increase durability and resilience within the U.S. food supply.
Information about the public comment process is available at:
