ROADMAP FOR SCIENCE IN DECISIONMAKING

The document argues that the USDA's scientific integrity and research capacity were damaged between 2017 and 2020 through political suppression of research and the relocation of key agencies. It proposes a roadmap for recovery, including returning leadership to Washington, DC, implementing a suppressed climate resilience plan, and strengthening protections for scientists' communication with the public.

• The relocation of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from Washington, DC, to Kansas City, Missouri, resulted in a significant loss of personnel, with 75 percent of employees leaving their posts.
• Political interference led to the suppression of the USDA's "Climate Resilience Science Plan," a document finalized in early 2017 intended to guide the department's response to climate change.
• USDA scientists have faced significant barriers to public communication; a 2018 survey found that 78 percent of USDA respondents had to obtain departmental preapproval to speak with journalists.
• The USDA's rulemaking processes for swine slaughter inspection and poultry line speeds are criticized for ignoring scientific peer review and worker health and safety data.
• The USDA's scientific integrity (SI) policy lacks transparency, as annual reports on SI allegations provide little detail on the substance of claims and often require FOIA requests to access full investigations.
• The USDA's Office of Inspector General found that the department failed to accurately present or disclose the limitations of raw data used in a worker-safety analysis for a proposed rule.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2020). ROADMAP FOR SCIENCE IN DECISIONMAKING. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/rebuilding-science-and-si-at-usda.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. ROADMAP FOR SCIENCE IN DECISIONMAKING. 2020. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/rebuilding-science-and-si-at-usda.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=ROADMAP FOR SCIENCE IN DECISIONMAKING |date=September 2020 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/rebuilding-science-and-si-at-usda.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2020roadmap, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{ROADMAP FOR SCIENCE IN DECISIONMAKING}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/rebuilding-science-and-si-at-usda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }