The USDA’s Economic Research Service was uprooted from Washington, D.C., in a controversial move that gutted its expertise and reshaped its mission. This article explores the political motivations, the exodus of talent, and the agency’s struggle to rebuild.
Summary
In 2019, the Trump administration relocated the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) from Washington, D.C., to Kansas City, Missouri, leading to a mass exodus of experienced staff. Nearly half of ERS employees left, taking with them decades of institutional knowledge. The move, justified as a cost-saving measure, was later criticized by the Government Accountability Office, which found it likely increased costs.
Despite staff rebuilding efforts, ERS remains weakened. Many researchers were replaced by younger, less experienced hires, and some key research areas, such as behavioral economics and antibiotic use in agriculture, have suffered. The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly aided the agency’s recovery by allowing remote work, but ERS still struggles with diminished expertise and lower research output.
The move was widely seen as a political effort to weaken ERS, which had previously published research challenging Trump administration policies. Concerns persist that future government efforts to shrink or politicize agencies could further erode the quality of public service research. While some former ERS economists have found success elsewhere, many lament the loss of a once-thriving institution that played a critical role in shaping U.S. agricultural policy.
Reference
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