THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 10, 1996 TAG: 9601100009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
In taking Congress to task for failing to reduce the staffing of the Department of Agriculture in proportion to the declining number of farmers, D. James Paradee (letter, Dec. 27, 1995) makes the common assumption that USDA functions solely in support of farm and rural interests.
As a recently retired registered dietician, I would like to explain that the function of USDA is much broader than Mr. Paradee seems to understand it to be. USDA's staffing requirements bear little relationship to the number of farms in the United States.
Every consumer of food in this country is, in one way or another, a USDA client. Beyond programs geared specifically to farmers and their families, USDA operates the school-lunch program, the food-stamp program, the WIC program and cooperative extension programs. USDA is responsible for meat and poultry inspections, for standards of identity, grading and labeling of food products, for food-sanitation procedures in public places and for the ``nutrition facts'' information system on packaged foods. Educating consumers about food and nutrition, including a consumer hot line, is a major service.
Additionally, USDA continuously gathers and updates data on food composition, food consumption and nutritional status and maintains the National Nutrition Reference Library in Beltsville, Md. These are invaluable resources for health professionals, educators and researchers as well as food producers and processors.
Perhaps Congress should consider renaming USDA to better reflect its scope of services. By whatever name, however, let its staffing be proportionate to the spectrum of services it delivers.
MIMI ATWATER IACONE
Southern Shores, N.C., Dec. 28, 1995 by CNB