Charter of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development

1. Committee's Official Designation (Title):

Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (henceforth referred to as the "Board").

2. Authority:

Section 298 of the Foreign Assistance Act (henceforth referred to as "FAA") of 1961 (Public Law 87-195), as amended, mandates the establishment of the Board.

3. Objectives and Scope of Activities:

The Board's mission is to assist the U.S. Agency for International Development in the administration of programs authorized by Section 297 of the FAA (Public Law 87-195). Its general areas of responsibility include participating in the planning, development, and implementation of, initiating recommendations for, and monitoring Title XII activities as described in Section 297.

4. Description of Duties:

The Board's duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Participating in the formulation of basic policy, procedures, and criteria for proposed project review, selection, and monitoring;
• Recommending which developing nations could benefit from programs carried out under Title XII, and identifying those nations that have an interest in establishing or developing agricultural institutions;
• Assessing the impact of programs carried out under Title XII in solving agricultural problems and natural resource issues in developing nations;
• Developing information exchanges and consulting regularly with NGOs, consumer groups, agribusinesses and associations, agricultural cooperatives and commodity groups, state departments of agriculture, State agricultural research and extension agencies, and academic institutions;
• Investigating and resolving issues concerning the implementation of Title XII, as requested by universities; and
• Advising the Administrator on any and all issues as requested.

5. Agency or Official to Whom the Committee Reports:

The Board shall report to the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

6. Support:

The U.S. Agency for International Development, Bureau for Food Security, Office of Agricultural Research and Policy is responsible for financial and administrative support of the Board and its subordinate units.

7. Estimated Annual Operating Costs and Staff Years:

The estimated annual operating and administrative support cost for the Board is approximately $742,600, which includes 2.5 full-time equivalent staff members and program support for meetings and studies conducted by the Board.

8. Designated Federal Officer:

The head of the Agency must designate a Designated Federal Officer (DFO) for the Board. The DFO for BIFAD is the Executive Director of the Board and must be a full-time or permanent part-time employee of the Bureau for Food Security (BFS), appointed in accordance with Agency procedures. The DFO will, in consultation with the Board Members: (a) Approve or call meetings of the Board or its Subcommittees; (b) Approve the agenda for meetings of the board or its subcommittees; (c) Attend such meetings; (d) Adjourn any meeting when he or she determines it to be in the public interest; and, (e) Chair a meeting of the board or its subcommittees when so directed by the Agency head.

9. Estimated Number and Frequency of Meetings:

The Board estimates that it will meet in public session at least two times per year (first and third quarters of each Fiscal Year). Its Subcommittees will meet as necessary. The Board may meet in executive session.

10. Duration:

The Board is authorized by statute as a permanent Board and, hence, is continuing in its duration. This Charter is subject to renewal every two years.

11. Termination:

Section 298 of the FAA provides for a permanent Board.

12. Membership and Designation:

The Board shall consist of seven Members appointed by the President, no fewer than four selected from the universities as defined by Section 296(d) of the FAA. Section 296(d) defines the universities as "those colleges or universities in each State, territory, or possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia, now receiving, or which may hereafter receive, benefits under the Act of July 2, 1862 (known as the First Morrill Act), or the Act of August 30, 1890 (known as the Second Morrill Act), which are commonly known as ' land-grant' universities; institutions now designated or which may hereafter be designated as sea-grant colleges under the Act of October 15, 1966 (known as the National Sea Grant College and Program Act), which are commonly known as sea-grant colleges; Native American land-grant colleges as authorized under the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note); and other United States colleges and universities which--(1) have demonstrable capacity in teaching, research, and extension (including outreach) activities in the agricultural sciences; and (2) can contribute effectively to the attainment of the objective of this title." The Members selected from the universities will serve in a representative, not an individual, capacity. Terms of Members shall be established by the President at the time of appointment, as provided by Section 298(a) of the FAA. A White House memorandum from 1987 states that Board Members may continue to serve after the expiration of their terms until the President has appointed their qualified successors.

13. Subcommittees:

Board Subcommittees are authorized as necessary for the performance of the Board's duties and the discharge of its responsibilities. All reporting, advice, and work products of the Board Subcommittees should be made through the Board and shall not be provided directly to the Administrator.

14. Recordkeeping:

Records of the Committee, and all formally and informally established Subcommittees, shall be handled in accordance with General Records Schedule 6.2, or other approved Agency records disposition schedule. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of information Act (Section 552 of Title 5 U.S.C. of the United States Code).

15. Filing Date:

This renewed Charter is filed on February 28, 2019, with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate, as required by law.