USDA is working to implement provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to put Americans back to work and rejuvenate the nation's ailing economy. USDA will provide funding to ensure that farmers continue to contribute to local economies, take steps to build and preserve critical infrastructure in communities across America and implement new resource conservation measures.
The Recovery Act provided USDA with nearly $28 billion in funding, which in turn represents nearly $52 billion in program funding through a host of guaranteed loan programs. Dollar amounts on the graph below and throughout this website represent the program dollars that USDA will spend or distribute as grants or loans.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 - USDA's Economic Research Service's (ERS) today released its annual report on Household Food Security in the U.S., which revealed that in 2008, 17 million households, or 14.6 percent, were food insecure and families had difficulty putting enough food on the table at times during the year. This is an increase from 13 million households, or 11.1 percent, in 2007. The 2008 figures represent the highest level observed since nationally representative food security surveys were initiated in 1995. The full study is available at www.ers.usda.gov/features/householdfoodsecurity/.
