congress created the agricultural productivity act in response to the need for government establishment of a sustainable agriculture program in 1985. in 1988, the first congressional appropriation was made to the program in the form of $3.9 million.<ref name="sare 20/20"></ref> in 1991, the united states environmental protection agency (epa) dedicated $1 million to a joint epa and usda subproject of sare entitled agriculture in concert with the environment.