Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Richard Rominger, a Yolo County, California farmer announced at the end of 1996 a policy directive expressing USDA's commitment to sustainable development which includes sustainable agriculture, forestry, and rural communities. "In a Secretary's Memorandum on Sustainable Development, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman articulated the need to balance the goals of production and profitability, stewardship of the natural resource base and ecological systems, and viability of rural communities," Rominger said. Through this Memorandum, Glickman will establish a USDA Council on Sustainable Development for the coordination and integration of policies, programs, activities, and education on this issue throughout the Department. Rominger commissioned a 50-member interagency Sustainable Agriculture Working Group in 1995 to examine barriers to adopting more sustainable farming methods. The working group identified 33 ways for USDA to overcome such barriers. The recommendations evolved after a series of workshops and field tours during which members listened to farmers, extension agents, and academic experts describe the need for more support for sustainable agriculture.

USDA is committed to working toward the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of diverse food, fiber, agriculture, forest, and range systems. USDA will balance the goals of production and profitability, stewardship of the natural resource base and ecological systems, and viability of rural communities. USDA will integrate these goals into its policies and programs, particularly through interagency collaboration, partnerships, and outreach. -Dan Glickman, US Secretary of Agriculture.