Erin McGuire, Director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture at UC Davis, has been invited to serve on a newly established Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) subcommittee focused on Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) engagement in global food security and agricultural development.

BIFAD is a seven-member, presidentially appointed advisory board to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) established in 1975 under Title XII of the Foreign Assistance Act, as amended, to ensure that USAID brings the assets of U.S. universities to bear on development challenges in agriculture and food security and supports their representation in USAID programming. 

The BIFAD Subcommittee on MSI Engagement and Leadership will provide recommendations to strengthen partnerships between USAID and MSIs in agricultural development, food security, and nutrition programming. The subcommittee will work to identify pathways for USAID to enhance MSI partnerships and recommend strategies for BIFAD to better engage MSIs in its ongoing and future workstreams. Members will serve through December 2025.

"Through my experience leading the Horticulture Innovation Lab at UC Davis, I've seen firsthand how inclusive partnerships can amplify impact by integrating local expertise and fostering equitable development," said McGuire. "At UC Davis, I've learned the value of leveraging institutional strengths for international collaboration."

"Experts and students from UC Davis make a difference in how effective we are in solving challenges here and abroad," McGuire noted. "Strengthening collaboration between Minority-Serving Institutions and USAID represents a powerful opportunity to bring diverse perspectives and innovative solutions to global food security challenges."

The Horticulture Innovation Lab at UC Davis is one of 21 Feed the Future Innovation Labs supported by USAID. Currently, MSIs enroll nearly five million students, representing about 30 percent of all U.S. undergraduates. According to USAID documents, of the 84 U.S. higher education institutions working with Innovation Labs in FY 2022, 25 were designated MSIs.

For media inquiries, contact Heather Hayashi, hnhayashi@ucdavis.edu.