Tri-Societies join lawsuit, via ACSESS, to challenge USDA reorganization

ACSESS has joined a coalition of labor unions, cities, counties, and other nonprofit organizations to challenge a Trump Administration attempt to reorganize the USDA, which would include actions that would have detrimental impact on the scientific disciplines that ACSESS represents. ACSESS, the Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies, is itself a non-profit entity composed of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), also known as the “Tri-Societies.”

The suit is intended to prevent mass staff departures from the USDA and its component agencies that would harm the interests of the Tri-Societies and each of those societies’ members and stakeholders.

“The ability of our scientific community to create solutions to some of the world’s largest challenges relies on an ecosystem that includes collaboration with our colleagues and facilities within the USDA," said Jim Cudahy, ACSESS CEO. "Reckless changes to our research network without full consideration of the consequences would do genuine harm to the nation’s agricultural systems and natural resources.”

The suit, filed in the Northern District of California, stems from a February 2025 executive order that enacted what the administration called a "critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy" requiring federal agencies to slash jobs. 

On July 1, the coalition that includes ACSESS filed a motion for leave to supplement their complaint alleging ASA, CSSA, and SSSA members would "suffer actual and ongoing harm" as a result of the changes. In addition, members "who rely on USDA for funding and who collaborate with USDA scientists on research projects will also be harmed by the attrition and mission disruption that the Reorganization will cause at the agencies," the complaint claims. Finally, the complaint says the staffing reductions would "harm the Societies' ability to fulfill its mission of advancing knowledge and facilitating collaboration in the fields of agronomy, crop science, and soil science."

A different motion argues that the reorganization is illegal and asks a court to halt the changes with a preliminary injunction. 

Hundreds of members of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA—as well as certified professionals holding the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) or Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) credentials—are employed by agencies domiciled within the USDA. Thousands more rely substantially on the resources and counsel provided by and through USDA personnel who would be impacted by the proposed USDA reorganization. 

"These changes likely would not have just a short-term, but a long-term negative impact on the nation’s collective ability to effectively manage food systems and natural resources at a time when the workforce feeding our scientific disciplines is already under strain," said Cudahy.