USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced today that the agency is strengthening its partnership with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to create jobs and expand access to new and better market opportunities for people in rural America. Torres Small emphasized the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to rebuilding the economy for the American people, especially in the nation’s most underserved and rural communities. She also highlighted USDA’s dedication to driving economic security and prosperity for people in rural America.

The collaboration with the SBA is intended to help expand opportunities for people to build brighter futures for generations to come. Through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed today, USDA and SBA are committing to increase investments in small and underserved communities to help grow the rural economy and create good-paying jobs nationwide. Additionally, the agencies are committing to expanding opportunities for rural technical assistance providers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and small business owners. They will also provide resources to help rural businesses compete in both domestic and international markets.

SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman expressed that rural small businesses strengthen local economies, creating jobs and serving communities. She emphasized that this partnership with USDA will build upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in underserved rural Americans and providing the resources needed to help them start and grow their businesses. The administration recognizes that economic growth must be inclusive of all communities across America, including those in our most underserved areas. This partnership is an important step towards achieving that goal.