Biden appoints MSU econimist, Liverpool-Tasie, into Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

President Joe Biden has appointed Michigan State University (MSU) economist Dr Saweda Liverpool-Tasie to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD).

BIFAD advises the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on agriculture and higher education issues pertinent to food insecurity. Along with other BIFAD board members, Dr Liverpool-Tasie will play a key role in shaping our nation’s perspectives on international food and agriculture.

“It is a privilege to be appointed to serve in this capacity. I am looking forward to the opportunity and particularly with such a distinguished group of professionals,” Liverpool-Tasie stated.

Dr Liverpool-Tasie is an Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) and a long-standing member of the department’s Food Security Group (FSG). Dr Liverpool-Tasie is the first member of AFRE to serve as a BIFAD board member.

USAID Executive Director of BIFAD, Clara Cohen, said: “I am delighted to congratulate and welcome Dr Liverpool-Tasie and other newly appointed members of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD). USAID greatly values the partnership with BIFAD in supporting our engagement in global food security. The diversity and depth of expertise among the new members will bring thought leadership and broaden the dialogue to reduce hunger, respond to climate change, and lead more inclusive development around the world.”

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Dr Liverpool-Tasie’s research focuses on emergent issues related to smallholder productivity and welfare within dynamic and transforming food systems in sub- Saharan Africa and alongside poorly functioning markets in the region? Dr Liverpool-Tasie is also an expert in developing international capacity for food and agricultural policy.

“In Saweda Liverpool-Tasie, BIFAD has gained a board member with deep understanding of evolving agri-food supply chains and firm commitment to institution-building in the Global South,” said AFRE Chairperson Scott Swinton. “As a university colleague and as a U.S. citizen, I am excited to see her helping to shape our international food and agricultural development policy.”

Before joining MSU, Dr Liverpool-Tasie was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). She is a 2016 recipient of the Michigan State University John K. Hudzik Emerging Leader in Advancing International Studies and Programs Award, and the 2017-18 chair of the Africa section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association professional society.? She has served on the advisory boards of MSU’s African Studies Center and the Alliance for African Partnership. Dr. Liverpool-Tasie is also a 2018/19 winner of the MSU Teacher-Scholar Award, which recognizes early career MSU faculty members, who link excellent teaching to scholarly work.

FSG co-directors, David Tschirley and Eric Crawford note, “Dr Liverpool-Tasie has stood out from the very beginning of her career for her commitment to doing high quality academic research on development challenges in a way that builds local capacity, promotes local ownership, and has real effects on policy and program design? This is a great combination to bring to BIFAD, and we could not be more pleased with her nomination.”