USDA Reorganizes Research Mission Area, Relocates ERS and NIFA to Kansas City, Decommissioning BARC

Press Release

USDA Advances Reorganization and Restructuring of the Research, Education, and Economics Mission Area to Improve Efficiency and Better Serve American Farmers

Published:

April 23, 2026

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(Washington, D.C., April 23, 2026) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area today announced a reorganization and leadership restructuring to better align its work with USDA priorities, improve operational efficiency, and deliver results more effectively for American farmers, ranchers, and producers.

This effort refocuses REE’s structure on mission delivery—streamlining operations, strengthening leadership accountability, and positioning resources closer to the agricultural communities USDA serves. The updated structure will be guided by five core principles: strengthening leadership accountability, reducing organizational complexity, ensuring consistency across agencies where appropriate, leveraging emerging tools and technologies, and aligning clearly with USDA’s priorities.

“At USDA, we are putting farmers first,” said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. “This reorganization ensures our research, data, and innovation efforts are focused where they matter most: delivering real results for the men and women who feed, fuel, and clothe this country. By streamlining operations and moving resources closer to the ground, we are making USDA more responsive, more efficient, and better equipped to support American agriculture. This move puts our research institutions outside of the beltway and closer to the land grant universities with talent pipelines who will lead the research and solve the problems facing the future of American agriculture. This is about strengthening our USDA research focus and improving the services the agricultural economy relies on.”

This is about execution and accountability,” said Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden. “We are aligning our workforce and infrastructure with the Department’s core mission, reducing unnecessary complexity, and ensuring every function is positioned to deliver results. These changes will strengthen coordination across REE agencies and improve our ability to serve farmers and ranchers efficiently and effectively.”

“Science is most effective when it’s connected to the people and places it’s meant to serve,” said Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist Dr. Scott Hutchins. “This effort strengthens our ability to deliver actionable research, trusted data, and innovative solutions by aligning our teams more closely with agricultural producers across the country. It ensures our work remains relevant, responsive, and grounded in the needs of American farmers.”

As part of this effort, REE agencies will relocate certain positions currently based in the National Capital Region (NCR) to locations across the country, bringing research closer to our stakeholders. The Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) employees will be relocating some positions from the NCR to their offices in Kansas City. In addition, ERS and NIFA positions that were moved to Kansas City in 2019 and have since sprawled across the country will be relocated to Kansas City, as originally intended.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be relocating some positions located in the NCR, as well as some positions outside the NCR, to St. Louis or other NASS offices. NASS will also be maintaining a field presence to continue to collect information and provide vital statistical services to American farmers and ranchers.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will begin decommissioning the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and relocating research programs to facilities across the country better aligned with regional agricultural needs. BARC currently includes more than 400 buildings, many of which are outdated or underutilized, and requires significant deferred maintenance and ongoing investment. Transitioning these programs will allow USDA to modernize its research footprint, improve safety, and better connect researchers with the producers they serve. ARS has evaluated its nationwide footprint to identify locations best suited to absorb ongoing research, ensuring continuity while increasing opportunities for collaboration with farmers and industry partners.

The Office of the Chief Scientist will continue to provide scientific leadership across USDA while upholding the highest standards of research integrity and advancing critical priorities. REE’s Business Center will expand its role in supporting mission-critical operations, streamlining administrative functions and improving efficiency across agencies.

Together, these actions strengthen USDA’s ability to deliver practical, science-based solutions directly to producers by reducing administrative burden, improving coordination, and ensuring resources are aligned with the needs of American agriculture.

Press Release Release No.: 0057.26