[Federal Register: February 17, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 30)]
[Notices]
[Page 7390-7391]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17fe09-19]
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AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Board for International Food and Agricultural Development; One
Hundred and Fifty-Sixth Meeting; Notice of Meeting
Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby
given of the one hundred and fifty-sixth meeting of the Board for
International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD). The meeting
will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on February 24, 2009 at the
National Press Club located at 529 14th St., NW., Washington, DC. The
venue will be the 1st Amendment Room which is located on the 13th floor
of the National Press Club. ``Higher Education: A Critical Partner in
Global Agricultural Development'' continues to be the central theme of
BIFAD's initiatives and the February meeting.
Dr. Robert Easter, Chairman of BIFAD, will preside over the
proceedings. Dr. Easter is Dean of the College of Agriculture, Consumer
and Environment Sciences at the University of Illinois.
The strengthening of USAID and university relations to achieve
unified, and cooperative actions on international agricultural
development, especially pertaining to food security, is central to the
Agenda set for BIFAD's 156th meeting. The 156th meeting builds on the
Board's recent initiatives, including the Conference of Deans (April
2008); the White Paper (presented to USAID's Administrator in October
2008); and the special dialogue on establishing a university ``Brain
Trust'' (panel of university deans, De Moines meeting October 2008).
BIFAD's morning session will start with a presentation on
``Collaboration in Support of U.S. Foreign Assistance Priorities--2009
Outlook,'' delivered by Karen Turner, Director of USAID's Office of
Development Partners (ODP). BIFAD was relocated to USAID's Office of
Development Partners in October 2008. This presentation will be
followed by the technical reports of BIFAD's technical subcommittee,
the Strategic Partnership for Agricultural Research and Education
(SPARE) led by Dr. Sandra Russo, Chairperson, of SPARE and will include
SPARE's actions on the SPARE Charter, CRSP management, SPARE
directions, and the role of SPARE in support of BIFAD's initiatives.
Following the SPARE presentation the Board will receive an update
on legislative actions related to Agriculture and Higher Education.
Congressional staff (TBD) will provide comment on directions and
funding implications.
Of special interest to program implementers will be BIFAD's report
on a three-member team field visit to Kenya. The October 2008 visit,
lead by BIFAD Chairman Robert Easter, reviewed selected USAID programs
being implemented by USAID/Kenya (country mission) and USAID/East
Africa (regional mission). One aspect of the Board's Kenya visit was to
gain insights on how the Board and the university community can assist
USAID field missions.
Highlighting the morning session will be an interagency panel
discussion, ``US Government Approaches to Agriculture and Food Security
in Africa.'' David Atwood, Director of the Office of Sustainable
Development in USAID's Africa Bureau, assembled the panel and will
provide USAID's Africa Bureau perspectives and moderate the discussion.
Panel members include Pat Sheikh, Acting Deputy Under Secretary,
Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Kristen
Penn, Senior Agricultural Director, Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC); Howard Anderson, Acting Director, Overseas Programming and
Training Support, U.S. Peace Corps; and Susan Bradley, Director of
Program Planning and Management, Democracy Conflict and Humanitarian
Assistance Bureau (DCHA), USAID. The panel's discussion will provide
BIFAD with current perspectives on development conditions and food
security implications in Africa and serve to expand the dialogue on
reaching foreign assistance objectives through cooperation among USG
and other partners.
Following an executive luncheon (closed to the public) the Board
will continue discussion and consideration of several initiatives to
enhance university collaboration with USAID. The Board will discuss
recommendations advanced in its White Paper, including strategic and
long-term perspectives on international agriculture. Discussion
objectives include identifying several priority
[[Page 7391]]
areas for joint university and USAID collaboration and timely
implementation to assist USAID's leadership. Building on the program
groundwork established by the Board in 2007-08, BIFAD's mid-afternoon
session includes deliberations on ``Collaborating with USAID to
Establish the University Brain Trust for International Agricultural
Development'' and plans to sponsor the Conference of Deans II. Both
initiatives are mechanisms to mobilize university capacities in
collaboration with international agri-business and with BIFAD's
leadership, to advise and assist USAID.
Ending a very full agenda will be comments on ``The Way Forward:
Toward a USAID/BIFAD Partnership.'' These will be delivered by Carol
Grigsby, Deputy Director, Office of Development Partners, USAID.
The Board meeting is open to the public. The Board welcomes open
dialogue to promote greater focus on critical issues facing USAID, the
role of universities in development, and applications of U.S.
scientific, technical and institutional capabilities to international
agriculture.
Note on Public Comments: Due to time constraints public comments
to the Board will limited to two (2) minutes to accommodate as many
as possible. The comments must be submitted ahead of the meeting and
they must be in writing.
Those wishing to attend the meeting or obtain additional
information about BIFAD should contact Dr. Ronald S. Senykoff,
Executive Director and Designated Federal Officer for BIFAD. Write him
in care of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Ronald Reagan
Building, Office of Development Partners, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW., Room 2.11-085, Washington, DC 20523-2110 or telephone him at (202)
712-0218 or fax (202) 216-3010.
Ronald S. Senykoff,
Executive Director and USAID Designated Federal Officer for BIFAD,
Office of Agriculture and Food Security, Bureau for Economic Growth,
Agriculture & Trade, U.S. Agency for International Development.
[FR Doc. E9-3256 Filed 2-13-09; 8:45 am]
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