The Department of Agriculture is concerned with forestry, food and farming. This executive branch department oversees 17 major agencies, including the Forest Service, which manages national forests and grasslands; the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which helps farmers, ranchers and other landowners conserve and restore their lands; and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which promotes crop and livestock pest and disease control. The inspection service includes Wildlife Services, a controversial predator and wild animal control agency. The USDA also provides programs for food safety, rural development and agricultural research. It certifies farms as organic, administers a federal crop insurance program and runs nutrition assistance programs. In 2016, its budget was about $150 billion, and it employed almost 100,000 people.
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