Agro Perspectiva

USDA Employee Charles Russell Returns from Rebuilding Iraq’s Agricultural Sector

15.06.2010 10:34 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) today announced that Charles Russell, an agricultural statistician with USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, has returned from a 16-month voluntary assignment in Iraq to help rebuild that country’s agricultural sector. «The efforts of people like Charles are crucial for helping to create stable, democratic, and economically viable societies in countries like Iraq,» said John D. Brewer, FAS Administrator. «Whether their expertise is in forestry, soil and water conservation, food safety, statistics, agricultural extension and policy, or veterinary services, volunteers like Charles are needed to contribute their specialized skills to help farmers, citizens, and the national and provincial government leaders of Iraq.» Since 2007, USDA has deployed staff to Iraq for long- and short-term assignments. Presently, more than 30 Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) agricultural or ministry experts are in Iraq. PRT experts work on a variety of projects depending on the needs of the province. All projects are aimed at helping Iraq reconstruct the physical and institutional infrastructure of its agricultural sector. Russell served as a USDA PRT agricultural expert on both the embedded PRT-Baghdad 4 and the embedded PRT-Baghdad South in Baghdad Province. Among his many accomplishments, Russell worked to establish the Mahmudiyah Higher Agricultural Association (MHAA), a non-governmental organization (NGO), which is considered the preeminent NGO in the region. As an umbrella organization for nearly 40 smaller agricultural NGOs, the MHAA is providing farmers with access to new technologies, equipment, and low-cost credit. In recognition of his efforts, the U. S. Department of State presented Russell with a meritorious honor award for his sustained, dedicated, and successful efforts to help Iraqis rebuild their agricultural institutions. Born in Boston, Mass., Russell grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and currently lives in Columbus, Ohio. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and his master’s degree in fisheries genetics from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In Iraq, PRTs are led by the U. S. Department of State and are typically composed of about 50–100 military personnel and several civilians. The PRT agricultural expert is one of only a few civilians on the PRT; the others are State Department representatives and U. S. Agency for International Development field program officers. In addition to PRTs, USDA has many activities and programs aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Iraqi government, rebuilding agricultural markets, and improving management of natural resources. Last year, more than 60 Iraqi government and university officials received advanced train-the-trainer agricultural extension education at five U.S. land-grant universities on subjects such as water resource management and soil analysis under the Iraq Agricultural Extension Revitalization Project (IAER). Programs such as USDA’s Cochran Fellowship Program and the Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellows Program have brought more than 60 Iraqis to the United States for short-term specialized training since 2005. These public and private sector policymakers, scientists, and veterinarians have upgraded their technical skills in a wide range of topics including techniques to control animal diseases, agricultural policy planning and budget management, and research in water resources, waste-water recycling, and irrigation.