[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7390-7391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3256]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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]
BILLING CODE 6116-01-P