President Donald Trump has named former Republican Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as his choice to serve as secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and the position involves a key health role, according to a Kaiser Health News report.
Here are four things to know about the secretary of agriculture's key health role.
1. The Department of Agriculture helps manage the nation's food assistance initiatives, according to the report. These efforts include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Women, Infants and Children program and the Summer Food Service Program.
2. The Department of Agriculture also provides a number of grants to help rural communities meet health needs, according to the report. These efforts include the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants and water and waste disposal grants.
3. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture has been involved in health education through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, and plays a role in developing the nation's nutritional guidelines, reports Kaiser Health News.
4. Lastly, the Department of Agriculture helps protect the food supply through the Food Safety and Inspection Service, according to the report.
For more on this story, read Carmen Heredia Rodriguez's full article in Kaiser Health News.