USDA's Daniel Whitley (left) and Alexis Taylor let them eat cake as long as it's made with U.S.-grown ingredients
Aug 02, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – Last Thursday, USA Rice attended a special 70th anniversary celebration for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) where a commemorative timeline and digital display were unveiled in the USDA South Building outside of the FAS Administrator’s office.
The celebration included a number of former FAS administrators, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor, and four of the five FAS foreign service personnel that have been confirmed to the rank of Ambassador over the years.
Following a welcome from FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley, the four Ambassadors made brief remarks, all citing the incredible impact of the agency over the 70-year history and calling them “the most effective agency in the federal government.”
Ambassador Christopher Goldthwait began working for FAS in 1973 and rose through the ranks until being confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the U.S. Ambassador to Chad from 1999-2004. Goldthwait shared that, “FAS can be credited with expanding U.S. agricultural exports by billions of metric tons and helping, through international food aid programs, of feeding tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people around the world in their short history.”
USA Rice has been a key FAS cooperator partner for decades as the industry works with the agency to grow U.S. exports of rice throughout the world along with encouraging the use of U.S. rice in international food aid programs. USA Rice also works closely with FAS personnel in Washington and at dozens of U.S. embassies and postings around the globe to lift trade barriers and promote U.S. rice to facilitate exports.