7 U.S.C. § 3101
Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
The purposes of federally supported agricultural research, extension, and education are to—
- (1)enhance the competitiveness of the United States agriculture and food industry in an increasingly competitive world environment;
- (2)increase the long-term productivity of the United States agriculture and food industry while maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base on which rural America and the United States agricultural economy depend;
- (3)develop new uses and new products for agricultural commodities, such as alternative fuels, and develop new crops;
- (4)support agricultural research and extension to promote economic opportunity in rural communities and to meet the increasing demand for information and technology transfer throughout the United States agriculture industry;
- (5)improve risk management in the United States agriculture industry;
- (6)improve the safe production and processing of, and adding of value to, United States food and fiber resources using methods that maintain the balance between yield and environmental soundness;
- (7)support higher education in agriculture to give the next generation of Americans the knowledge, technology, and applications necessary to enhance the competitiveness of United States agriculture;
- (8)maintain an adequate, nutritious, and safe supply of food to meet human nutritional needs and requirements; and
- (9)support international collaboration that leverages resources and advances priority food and agricultural interests of the United States, such as—