U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service.

What is it?

ERS conducts a research program to inform public and private decisionmaking on economic and policy issues involving food, farming, natural resources, and rural development.

Five major areas of research define the scope of ERS activity. These research areas derive from strategic planning in USDA for its research, economics, and education mission.

Each research area encompasses a body of ERS work?presented in Briefing Rooms, publications, data, and other products and services?addressing one of the following strategic goals:

A competitive agricultural system
A safe food supply
A healthy, well-nourished population
Harmony between agriculture and the environment
An enhanced quality of life for rural Americans

How do I get it?

Download from the site.

Format and Retrieval

Most data sets are in Excel spreadsheets

Is Metadata included?

Metadata is available for some data sets.

Do I need to pay/register to use data?

Reliability of data

The Economic Research Service (ERS) provides guidelines to ensure the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information disseminated by the agency. ERS also has established administrative mechanisms to allow the public to seek and obtain correction of information maintained and disseminated by the agency that does not comply with the Information Quality

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