Why Linking Data Systems at Trump’s USDA Isn’t Enough. (And Might Be a Disaster for Farmers.)

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates a sprawling array of farmer assistance programs aimed at promoting US agriculture, buffering farms and the food supply from risk, and protecting our soil, water, and air from agricultural pollution. In an op-ed published in Iowa earlier this month, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a two-year data modernization effort that would “[deliver] a single, streamlined record that follows the farmer—no matter where they go in the USDA system.” She promised results including less red tape, expedited approvals of grant applications, and program dollars reaching farmers “faster than a seed sprouts.”

In what might be a first, I agree with Rollins . . . in a way. I think it’s a good idea to connect these disparate subsidy programs, currently run by different agencies within the USDA and tracked using separate systems. But while it may be true that the IT systems are clunky and redundant, a much bigger problem is that the aims of the programs are so disconnected that they often work at cross purposes and fail to deliver lasting benefits to farmers, farm economies, taxpayers, and the public. Rather than just a superficial linking of farmer data and application forms, we need true synergy of program goals and outcomes, and Rollins’ plan won’t do anything about that.