The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been instructed to review and flag grants for possible cancellation by scanning for specific diversity and climate-related phrases. This directive, carried out early in President Donald Trump’s second administration, reflects a wider federal campaign aiming to end programs connected to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as climate initiatives. Documents reviewed by Reuters reveal how deep this effort runs inside one of the government’s largest agencies.
Federal Push to Eliminate DEI and Climate Programs
The USDA’s actions were part of a broader requirement across federal departments to align with Trump’s stance that DEI programs are “racist” and “illegal” and that climate change is “a con job.” As part of this shift, agencies were told to dismantle DEI-related activities and pull back climate regulations.
Legal group FarmSTAND, involved in litigation against the USDA, shared documents showing how expansive the review was. The USDA oversees everything from nutrition assistance and farm subsidies to conservation efforts, meaning the policy shift touches nearly every corner of American agriculture and food support.
Over $3 Billion in Grants Terminated
According to information posted on the Department of Government Efficiency website, the USDA has already canceled around 600 grants, amounting to more than $3 billion. Until now, the exact criteria used to identify these grants had not been publicly disclosed.
The USDA declined to comment due to ongoing legal cases. However, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated in March 13 memos that the grant review supported a “return to American principles” and allowed the department to refocus on its original mission: agriculture promotion, food safety, and forest protection.
Keywords Used to Flag Grants
DEI and Social-Equity Terms
According to a February 6 memo, USDA officials were told to locate grants containing terms such as:
- diversity, equity, inclusion, DEI, DEIA
- environmental justice
- underrepresented producers
- underserved communities
- socially disadvantaged producers
- socially vulnerable or similar wording
These instructions came from senior USDA officials, including then-acting general counsel Ralph Linden, deputy CFO Lynn Moaney, and budget director John Rapp.
The USDA has historically used “socially disadvantaged” to refer to farmers of color and, at times, women. Until July, these producers were routinely given priority for certain funding pools.
Climate-Related Terms Added to the Review
Expanded Search Criteria
On February 24, Chelsea Cole, a policy lead in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, told staff to broaden the search to include 16 climate-focused topics, including:
- climate modeling
- emission analysis
- climate-smart agriculture not directly benefiting farmers
- carbon pricing and market systems
- renewable energy modernization without direct farmer benefits
- climate adaptation and resilience planning
- biodiversity and ecosystem resilience tied to climate change
While documents do not confirm whether each flagged grant was canceled, the search criteria contributed to the roughly 600 terminated awards.
What Kind of Grants Were Canceled?
Many of the canceled grants supported projects such as:
- technical assistance for farmers adopting climate-friendly practices
- local food procurement for schools
- nutrition improvements for families relying on federal food programs
FarmSTAND attorney Holly Bainbridge said the terminations harmed groups nationwide that work to build a more equitable food system—particularly small farmers and food-insecure communities.
The documents were obtained through litigation jointly filed by FarmSTAND, Earthjustice, and the Farmers Justice Center.