Barbara Rasco, WSU professor of food science, this week was named to one of three working groups under the U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral consultations launched in May as part of President Barack Obama’s comprehensive strategy to enhance global food security.
“The individuals I have selected have experience in Afghanistan and Pakistan and bring creativity, commitment and dedication to the task at hand,” said Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Rasco’s work will involve an effort on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve trade and economic stability in Afghanistan, Pakistan and their border areas, she said.
“I am on the panel that is making recommendations on U.S. long-range policy on these matters,” she said. “A major focus is on products that are important to agriculture in the Pacific Northwest, and I see this as an opportunity for not just me, but for WSU generally, particularly in the College of Agriculture, to improve stability in this region.”
The groups will work with their respective Afghan and Pakistani group members to identify priorities and develop and apply appropriate programs, training and solutions. The goal of Rasco’s group is to develop agriculture trade corridors along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan to facilitate trans-border trade.
