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- U.S. Bureau of African Affairs official visits LSU AgCenter, praises international outreach
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, right, listens as Bennett Dzandu, left, of Ghana, talks about his research as a doctoral student at LSU. Thomas-Greenfield met with faculty members and students to discuss the LSU AgCenter’s international outreach efforts and current agriculture issues in Africa. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, talks about current agriculture issues in Africa during a March 2 visit to the LSU AgCenter. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter
(03/04/16) BATON ROUGE, La. – Agricultural research and education efforts are critical to helping solve food security issues in Africa, a senior U.S. Department of State diplomat said during a March 2 visit to the LSU AgCenter.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the assistant secretary of the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs and an LSU graduate, met with faculty members and students to discuss the AgCenter’s international outreach efforts and current agriculture issues in Africa.
“The contribution of the LSU AgCenter to the development and sustainability of the agriculture sector in Africa has been significant,” said David Picha, director of AgCenter International Programs. “Our applied research and outreach activities in multiple program areas, along with the human resource capacity building of future African leaders, have been highly relevant to the needs of the agriculture sector throughout the African continent.”
Several African students who are studying agriculture at LSU had a chance to tell Thomas-Greenfield about their research projects in fields that include nutrition, dairy science and soil science. Some of them have plans to return to their home countries after graduating to teach people about modern agricultural practices that can improve productivity and strengthen the food supply.
Thomas-Greenfield said she is glad the students realize the importance of extending their research results to farmers.
“We are in the throes of a food crisis in Africa, and we’re on the edge of a famine in Ethiopia,” she said. Recent El Niño weather conditions have caused drought in Africa, putting even greater pressure on the food supply in many countries.
Improving agriculture will help promote peace and prosperity in Africa, Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that it was encouraging to hear the students want to be part of that process.
“We’re going to see the world change and how we deal with it,” she told the students. “And you’re going to be on the cutting edge of that on the continent of Africa.”
“Agricultural development is an important component of national security, and when nations advance their agriculture sector, this leads to more peace, stability and economic prosperity,” said Susan Karimiha, AgCenter International Programs coordinator.
Thomas-Greenfield is a native of Baker, Louisiana, and received her bachelor’s degree from LSU. She previously served as an ambassador to Liberia, where the AgCenter is part of a $75 million U.S. Agency for International Development project that works with farmers and entrepreneurs to improve food security and spark economic growth through education and technical training.
Some of the students who met with Thompson-Greenfield are studying at LSU through the USAID’s Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development (BHEARD) program.