4. Climate science
Donald Trump exiled climate experts from Washington—literally. Officials refused to make public dozens of studies that indicate the negative effects of climate change on the agriculture sector. The department was even forced to stop the release of a plan that included ways to fight the climate change crisis.
Secretary Sonny Perdue, the Trump administration’s agriculture secretary, was aggressive in reshaping the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), most overtly by relocating hundreds of scientists out of Washington to Kansas City. Many of them have resigned, leaving research agencies with only a small part of their former staff.
The Biden administration is currently facing pressure to rehire experts in order to get USDA research agencies back on track and operating at full capacity. It’s also expected that spending on research will increase, as experts need to study the risks facing the food system, climate change included.
