Michelle O. Crosby, ASA Science Policy Fellow, and Steve Pierson, ASA Director of Science Policy
As part of its longstanding commitment to safeguarding the integrity and objectivity of government statistics, the ASA formally submitted comments on the US Department of Agriculture’s reorganization plan, which includes the proposed relocation of the National Agricultural Statistics Service and Economic Research Service, in August. The comments were developed with significant input from statistical experts in agriculture.
The ASA’s submission raises concerns about the USDA’s proposed relocation of NASS and ERS, emphasizing its potential effect on the agencies’ operations and the integrity of federal statistics. The comments highlight that this move could disrupt the production of vital agricultural data and compromise the effectiveness of both agencies, ultimately affecting those who use the data, including America’s farmers, ranchers, those living in rural communities, and policymakers.
Concerns About Operational Disruption
The comments note that the proposed relocation could lead to significant disruptions, including product delays and suspensions, and a potential loss of timely data for policymakers, farmers, and ranchers. Both agencies have recently experienced a loss of nearly a third of their staff this year, which has led to scaling back some NASS products. The ASA points to the 2019 relocation of ERS as a cautionary example, which resulted in approximately 75% of staff leaving and a temporary decline in productivity. Although staffing levels eventually recovered, the agencies experienced a loss of critical institutional knowledge due to the departure of experienced employees. The comments emphasize a similar outcome from the current proposed relocation could affect critical data products, such as the 2027 Census of Agriculture.
The Importance of Proximity and Collaboration
The ASA highlights that geographic co-location of NASS and ERS with other federal agencies in the Washington, DC, area is essential for their effectiveness. Proximity facilitates the diffusion of tacit knowledge, which is best transferred through in-person interactions. The comments highlight several crucial collaborations that depend on this co-location, including world agricultural supply and demand estimates, for which NASS and ERS collaborate with the World Agriculture Outlook Board in a secure, in-person setting to produce monthly forecasts.
World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates and NASS’s crop production reports are among the principal federal economic indicators of the United States. In fact, NASS produces six of the eight USDA principal federal economic indicators. ERS also uses data from NASS and other agencies to produce US farm income and wealth estimates, which are vital for understanding the financial health of the US agricultural economy. Additionally, the agencies have collaborated with other federal statistical agencies to develop new techniques and create rapid-response surveys to address crises, such as the 2022 infant formula supply chain crisis.
The comments note that relocating NASS and ERS from the nation’s capital could detach them from key partners such as the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis. This separation could hinder collaboration, potentially leading to inefficiencies and making it more difficult for the USDA to respond to crises. The proposed relocation could also alter the credibility and integrity of federal statistics by affecting their independence from political influence and public trust.
ASA’s Recommendations
Distinguishing between minimizing disruption and ensuring continued integrity, the comments include the following recommendations: Retain ERS and NASS headquarters staff in the national capital region, as the least disruptive option would be to keep the agencies in their current locations. If relocation is necessary, moving them to another site within the Washington, DC, metropolitan area would help retain their expert workforce and preserve critical collaborations. The comments also recommend that any relocation be conducted in a phased manner to minimize disruption, protect data quality, and give staff the time and resources needed for relocation, potentially helping to retain skilled employees. Finally, the ASA encourages the USDA to release a full, detailed plan for public comment outlining the costs, benefits, and mitigation strategies for the proposed relocation. This plan should include an analysis of projected staff attrition, the impact on key data products, and the costs of securing new office and computing space. The plan should also be subject to a public comment period and congressional input.
The comments emphasize that the focus should be on prioritizing the continuity of products on which farmers, ranchers, and others rely and on considering the potential effects on the nation’s data infrastructure.
The ASA shared its comments with key congressional committee staff members and met with several to discuss these concerns. Congressional staff appeared to share the ASA’s concerns about the potential effects of the relocation.
To learn more, read the ASA’s comments on the USDA reorganization plan.
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