USDA has released peer-reviewed science papers that elaborate on USDA's Action Plan for science.

Some of the biggest challenges facing us include a changing climate, uncertain energy sources, rising childhood obesity rates, food insecurity around the globe. The Action Plan provides an in-depth analysis of these challenges and identifies the roles of USDA’s science agencies in addressing them.

A key part of making the goals of the Action Plan a reality is coordinating efforts across not only USDA’s scientific agencies, but with its Land-Grant University partners, other federal agencies, and other partners around the country and world.

Building on the Action Plan, senior advisors in the Office of the Chief Scientist worked with teams across USDA to dig deeper into global challenges and articulate for USDA Science: 1) the roles played in addressing each challenge; 2) the key strategies to focus on in fulfilling those roles; 3) what USDA currently is doing; 4) what USDA plans to do; and 5) the anticipated outcomes from this work.

The following papers will provide detailed descriptions of USDA’s work in these areas, and will serve as resources for those interested in these issues:

• Global Food Security
• Bioenergy
• Nutrition and Childhood Obesity
• Climate Change
• Food Safety
• Sustainable Agricultural Systems