The mission area of USDA's purpose was to "help to keep America's farmers and ranchers in business as they face the uncertainties of weather and markets..." and that "...deliver[s] commodity, credit, conservation, disaster, and emergency assistance programs that help improve the stability and strength of the agricultural economy.

The Under Secretary's mission area also represents the diverse interests of the U.S. food and agricultural sector abroad by managing the department's international activities, addressing market access constraints, and working to expand markets for U.S. agricultural, fish and forest products overseas.

In 1969, responsibility for both foreign affairs and farm support (stabilization) programs was consolidated into a single position entitled Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Commodity Programs, with marketing remaining under its own, separate Assistant Secretary.

[2] Another former assistant secretary, James T. Ralph, was a figure in the Billie Sol Estes scandal and was forced to leave Federal service.

This scandal led directly to the 1963 shakeup of USDA, a reassignment of responsibilities for oversight of commodity programs, and investigation of allegations of corrupt activities by state-level employees of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service.

As trade in agricultural products continued to expand, and foreign markets became the primary destination for many U.S. grown commodities, there was increasing pressure to have a more visible member of USDA dedicated solely to expanding trade opportunities and resolving issues.

[4] The plan put forth by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue dissolved the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services mission area and created a new mission area for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, which houses the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the Farm Production and Conservation mission area, which contains the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and Natural Resources Conservation Service (previously a part of the Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) mission area).