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Special Initiatives

The Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement supports a wide variety of Presidential, Congressional, and Secretarial initiatives including Women in Agriculture, The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Farmworker Coordination.

 

Please join us for the USDA’s virtual convening:

Sustainable Livelihoods and Behavioral Health: Strategies and Partnerships to address Farm Stress and Suicide

When: May 17, 18, 19, 2022 from 1:00-5:00 pm ET.
Agenda (PDF, 286 KB)
Flyer (PDF, 3.2 MB)
Speaker Bios (PDF, 539 KB)

May 17 - Day 1 | Recording
May 18 - Day 2 | Recording
May 19 - Day 3 | Recording

Meeting Materials:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Rural Activities 2022 (PDF, 1.1 MB)
FRSAN – Farm Stress Resources (PDF, 154 KB)

America’s farmers and ranchers are resilient, but even the most stalwart can experience stress. The USDA is dedicated to helping farmers and ranchers cope with an important, but often overlooked topic – the impact of accumulated stress that comes from the rewarding, but also tough and challenging, agricultural life.  

This event will bring together leaders from federal agencies, the farming and ranching sector, technical assistance providers, as well as individuals and other strategic partners, to focus on current challenges, the USDA response, as well as best practices and strategies to address farm and ranch stress.

If you have any questions, please contact partnerships@usda.gov.

Key participant take-ways include:

 

 

Supporting the U.S. Agricultural Sector Deliver Climate Solution: Markets and Supply Chains Wednesday, February 23, 2022
1:00 - 4:30 PM EST Agenda

The meeting features remarks from Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, as well as the leadership of ag industry and producer serving organizations followed by open Q&A discussion. This forum discussion will highlight the recently announced Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program, highlighting innovation in climate solution delivery by agribusiness and investors, as well as opportunities and challenges to inclusive scaling of programs and opportunities. Held in conjunction with USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum, this Zoom.gov meeting is hosted by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) and Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC).

This event will be conducted virtually using Zoom.gov. Click here to register! The link to the event will be provided upon registration. If you have any questions, please contact alex.cordova@usda.gov. If you would like additional information about the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program, please email climate-smart-commodities@usda.gov.

 

Women in Agriculture

From the classroom to the farm to the boardroom, women in agriculture are helping to pave the way for a better future. As leaders, it is our responsibility to make sure the next generation of women are educated, encouraged and empowered to take on the challenges of meeting the world's growing food, fuel and fiber needs.

Visit the USDA Women in Agriculture Homepage.

 

White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

Led by the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) works to improve the quality of life for AAPI individuals and communities across the nation through increased access to and participation in federal programs. The Initiative seeks to highlight both the tremendous unmet needs in the AA and NHPI community as well as the dynamic community assets that can be leveraged to meet many of those needs.  USDA AA and NHPI areas of focus include outreach and engagement, capacity building, and data collection.

Learn more about our mission and the Executive Order on Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders that was issued on May 28, 2021.

Additional Resources

 

Farmworker Coordination

The Farmworker Coordinator identifies challenges faces by farmworkers and coordinates the community’s needs with USDA resources, and training to advance into other agricultural careers. The Coordinator works with community-based organizations to disseminate information that ensures farmworkers have access to USDA programs that may assist farmworkers, including emergency services provided by USDA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. USDA works closely with other Federal departments to better identify and address the needs of farmworker communities.

Resources

For more information on these initiatives, please contact us at:

Maria Goldberg
Phone: (202) 720-6350
Email: Maria.Goldberg@usda.gov