The Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis's (ORACBA) primary role is to ensure that major regulations proposed by USDA are based on sound scientific and economic analysis. ORACBA was established by the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 and began operation on April 15, 1995, in USDA's Office of the Chief Economist.
ORACBA also sponsors the Science, Policy and Risk Forum; a series that features prominent speakers on risk assessment and the intersection of risk assessment and economic analysis to build capacity in risk analysis. Four or more seminars are scheduled each year. For more information about past forums and how to register for future programs, see the Forum’s page.