[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 21, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35840-35841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17273]


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U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT


Board for International Food and Agricultural Development; One 
Hundred and Fifty-Seventh Meeting; Notice of Meeting

    Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby 
given of the one hundred and fifty-seventh meeting of the Board for 
International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD). The meeting 
will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 29, 2009 at the National 
Press Club located at 529 14th St., NW., Washington, DC. The venue will 
be the Holeman Lounge

[[Page 35841]]

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 July 
meeting.
    Dr. Robert Easter, Chairman of BIFAD, will preside over the 
proceedings. Dr. Easter is Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for 
Academic Affairs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
    Food security, including the broadly emerging issues surrounding 
climate change, and the role of universities in partnership with USAID 
to achieve critical short and long-term development objectives is the 
focus of the Board's Agenda as set for the 157th meeting. The 157th 
meeting continues to build toward the establishment of a special 
strategic partnership between USAID and the university community and 
the launching of a university ``Brain Trust.'' Underpinning these 
initiatives the Board's discussion incorporates the results from its 
second Conference of Deans (COD II) which was held in Washington, DC on 
June 28 and 29, 2009. The COD II's theme was ``Building a Global Food 
Security Strategy: The Role of Higher Education in US International 
Development.''
    BIFAD's morning session will begin with a panel discussion, 
``BIFAD's Conference of Deans II: Perspectives on Food Security and the 
Role of Universities.'' University recommendations and USAID 
perspectives from the COD II will be presented. A second panel will 
compliment the first session with the discussion, ``Partners in 
Development: Business, Cooperatives and NGOs.'' At mid-morning 
congressional staff will provide updates on directions and funding 
implications of the Lugar-Casey and McCollum Agriculture Bills. 
Particular attention will be directed to the HECTARE component of the 
legislation. Congressional presenters will be Connie Veillette, Senior 
Professional Staff Member, House Foreign Relation Committee and Peter 
Frosch, Legislative Director, Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Time 
will be made available for questions from the public attending.
    After the morning break the Board will hear commentary from the 
university community on ``USAID's Agricultural Development Plans for 
Afghanistan.'' Several university perspectives will be presented.
    Following an executive luncheon (closed to the public) the Board 
will continue discussion with an emphasis on agricultural innovation 
and responses to the impending climate change, particularly from an 
agro-ecological perspective. This will be highlighted in a special 
panel presentation, ``Climate Proofing Agriculture: Lessons from the 
System of Rice Intensification.'' The presentation will be led by 
Norman Uphoff, Program Leader for Sustainable Rice Intensification, 
Cornell University. USDA's response will be provided by Carol Kramer-
LeBlanc, Director, Sustainable Development Program, USDA/CREES.
    Shifting to a regional focus, USAID's Latin American Bureau will 
present to the Board key aspects of its trade-led strategy for 
agricultural diversification to promote agriculture and food security, 
``Optimizing the Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Benefits of 
CAFTA-DR.'' This USAID presentation will be delivered by a 
representative from the Office of Sustainable Development, Bureau for 
Latin America.
    Operational and management issues pertaining to the Board and 
linked to implementation of Title XII will be covered through several 
reports. First, the Board's sub-committee, Strategic Partnership for 
Agricultural Research and Education (SPARE), will report on its 
February 2009 meeting held at the University of Florida in Gainesville. 
Topics to be covered are SPARE's discussion on the Casey-Lugar Bill, 
specifically on how the Agency could implement the HECTARE portion of 
the legislation, and issues related to scaling-up agricultural 
programming in view of the Agency's increased efforts in Afghanistan 
and Pakistan. The concluding report will be an update from USAID's 
Office of Acquisitions and Assistance (OAA) on USAID's rule regarding 
the use of key subcontractors by prime contractors; particularly with 
regard to universities as subcontractors.
    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 be 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 6.7-153, Washington, DC, 20523-2110 or telephone him at (202) 
712-0218 or fax (202) 216-3124.

Ronald S. Senykoff,
Executive Director and USAID Designated Federal Officer for BIFAD, 
Office of Development Partners, U.S. Agency for International 
Development.
[FR Doc. E9-17273 Filed 7-20-09; 8:45 am]
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