Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is a subdivision of the Department of Agriculture responsible for advancing agricultural sciences through research, education, and programs. It collaborates with universities, government agencies, and other partners to address critical issues facing agriculture. It was established in 2008.

In FY 2024,

$1.89B

was spent by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture
In FY 2024,

0.9%

of Dept. of Agriculture spending was by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture

How much does the National Institute of Food and Agriculture spend?

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture spent a net total of $1.89 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.9% of the $203.4 billion spent by the Department of Agriculture, which itself was 3% of all federal spending. The NIFA ranked 11th among USDA subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture ranked 11th among Department of Agriculture divisions in net spending in 2024.

USDA net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s federal spending has increased from $1.66 billion in 2008 to $1.89 billion in 2024.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 2008.

Yearly federal net spending by NIFA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2008–2024

Since 2008, National Institute of Food and Agriculture's spending has increased 13.9%, while overall spending has increased 54.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. NIFA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 2008, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, NIFA accounted for 0.028% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2008.

Net spending by NIFA as a share of federal spending, FYs 2008–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture transferred 43.9% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net NIFA spending.

How did the National Institute of Food and Agriculture spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to NIFA, FY 2024

How many people work for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture?

Some 488 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture as of September 2024. This is 25.1% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture has increased 25.1% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for NIFA, September 2010–2024

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture accounts for 0.021% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.018%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's share of the workforce (0.021%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.028%).

Who leads the National Institute of Food and Agriculture?

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is led by a director. This individual is appointed by and the Secretary of Agriculture and reports to the Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

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