BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT (BIFAD) SUPPORT CONTRACT Semi-Annual Report March 1, 2023-August 31, 2023

The report highlights key accomplishments and progress toward achieving BIFAD objectives. Significant public engagement was achieved through a virtual public meeting in June, focused on Minority Serving Institution (MSI) engagement. The event drew audiences from 20 countries, representing 73 organizations, with nearly a third of attendees from MSI institutions. This meeting aimed to share plans for a proposed standing BIFAD Subcommittee on MSI Engagement and Leadership in USAID's Agricultural, Food Security, and Nutrition Policies and Programming. The BIFAD-commissioned Climate Change Study was expanded to include Agency operational challenges and opportunities. The team worked collaboratively with the BIFAD Subcommittee for Systematic Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Systems to conduct additional key informant interviews, restructure and draft new content, facilitate technical workshops, organize peer and technical reviews, and prepare the report for public sharing ahead of the planned September 11 public meeting. The Support Team provided guidance, content, iterative editorial revisions, quality control, and copy editing to support the Agency in preparing a response to BIFAD's Fed to Thrive recommendations, stemming from the October 18, 2022 public meeting. BIFAD recognized Dr. Lora Iannotti, Professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and Founding Director of the E3 Nutrition Lab, as the recipient of the 2022 Global Innovator Award. The Support Team also provided consistent and effective logistical, communications, and management support, including ongoing facilitation of administrative meetings, strategic communications, and outreach to engage and grow BIFAD's stakeholder database. The team supported BIFAD's response to the fiscal year 2023 (FY23) Title XII Report to Congress and planned for an upcoming hybrid public meeting, all while welcoming and onboarding new team members. The achievements are reflected in the Support Contract's progress toward the performance indicator targets outlined in the report. The team's efforts have contributed to BIFAD's success in advancing key objectives and achieving significant progress in the first half of Program Year Three. The BIFAD Support Contract has been characterized by a high level of activity, with multiple, diverse work streams advancing to achieve key BIFAD objectives. The accomplishments shared in this report are a celebration of BIFAD's own achievements and of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the BIFAD Support Contract Team as facilitators of that significant progress. The report highlights the team's ability to support BIFAD's response to the annual Title XII report, commission and manage analytical studies and reports, and provide thought leadership to enable BIFAD's understanding of complex technical issues. The team has also supported the implementation of the annual BIFAD Awards for Scientific Excellence in a Feed the Future Innovation Lab and provided logistical, communications, and management support to BIFAD's technical working groups and subcommittees. The BIFAD Support Contract has made significant progress in the first half of Program Year Three, with achievements reflected in the report's performance indicator targets. The team's efforts have contributed to BIFAD's success in advancing key objectives and achieving significant progress in the first half of Program Year Three.