The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a reorganization of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to streamline operations, consolidate support functions, and bring employees and programs closer to America’s agricultural heartland.
The effort is part of a broader Department-wide initiative that directs agencies to align workforce and facilities with available resources and to use these savings to focus on the core USDA mission to advance American agriculture and revive rural communities.
As part of this effort, FAS will establish an operational support hub in Kansas City, Missouri, and will begin a phased relocation of much of its Washington, D.C.-based workforce to this new duty station and to USDA’s George Washington Carver Center in Beltsville, Maryland, while a smaller Washington-based contingent will remain in Washington, D.C. This modernization effort does not include any reduction in force and focuses entirely on domestic headquarters functions; no overseas staff or diplomatic posts are affected.
“Our promise to the American people requires us to make tough but necessary decisions – including ending wasteful spending on underused facilities and modernizing organizational structures that don’t fit today’s needs,” said Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden. “By acting now, we’re positioning the Foreign Agricultural Service – and the entire Department – to continue serving the American people for generations to come.”
“Shifting key support functions to the heartland brings our programs directly to the communities that drive American agriculture,” said Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Luke J. Lindberg.
Source : usda.gov