The US Department of Agriculture has slashed millions of dollars in contracts from the Biden administration, including a contract for a “Brazilian forest and gender consultant.”
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the swingeing cuts on Friday. She said the Department has cancelled 78 contracts with a total value of $132 million, and that a thousand contracts are currently under review for cancellation.
The cancellations and reviews come as a result of a review by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“I welcome DOGE’s efforts at USDA because we know that its work makes us better, stronger, faster, and more efficient. I will expect full access and transparency to DOGE in the days and weeks to come,” Rollins said.
The $132 million in axed contracts includes $2.77 million in media contracts, including Politico subscriptions; $374,000 for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Onboarding Specialist; $229,000 for a Brazilian Forest and Gender Consultant; $29,000 for a Central American Gender Assessment Consultant; and $254,000 for Diversity Dialogue Workshops.
The USDA, Rollins says, is also working to “optimize its workforce” by eliminating needless positions, returning the workforce to the office and relocating employees closer to rural communities they serve.