The mission of USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) is to anticipate trends and emerging issues in agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America; and to conduct high-quality, objective economic research to inform and enhance public and private decision making. ERS shapes its research programs and products to serve those who routinely make or influence public policy and program decisions.
ERS is one of the Federal Government’s principal statistical agencies and—as such—is responsible for ensuring the quality, objectivity, and transparency of the statistical information and analyses it provides. Our policies and standards for publishing research and data are designed to ensure we provide high-quality and objective analysis. ERS provides the Nation’s statistics for food security, farm income, agricultural productivity, long-term agricultural commodity projections, costs and returns for agricultural operations, agricultural trade multipliers, and staff play a vital role in the development of USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE).
The agency both anticipates and responds to decision makers’ needs. ERS researchers frequently provide briefings to policymakers, USDA leadership, and other government officials; our staff analysis program provides rapid responses to their requests for data, analyses, and reviews. Further, our data products—including interactive tools, diverse datasets and wide array of machine-readable and 508-compliant products—enhance the understanding of economic issues affecting all involved in food and agriculture in the United States.
- Annual Budget: $92.612 million
- Employees: In fiscal year 2024, ERS had approximately 283 economists, researchers, social science analysts, and other professional staff.
- Strategic Plan: Strategic Plan for 2021 to 2025
- Key Metrics for Fiscal Year 2024:
- ERS published 70 reports, including Economic Research Reports and Amber Waves Features, as well as over 90 Outlook newsletters.
- ERS economists published 105 journal articles in peer-reviewed publications including, Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, American Journal of Public Health, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Food Policy, Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, and Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, and Land Economics; ERS economists gave 114 briefings and provided 421 analyses in response to requests from government officials; and ERS public affairs specialists responded to 420 inquiries and interview requests from U.S. and international media.