Robert Bertram

Rob Bertram served as chief scientist for food security at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2014 to 2025, where he led agricultural and food systems research under the Feed the Future initiative. These investments advanced technologies, practices, and policies aimed at reducing hunger, extreme poverty, and child stunting through inclusive agricultural growth and expanded access to affordable, high-quality diets. During this period—and for many years prior—he represented USAID in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and other international research centers and led the development of U.S. university–based (Innovation Labs) and public-private research partnerships. His work on genetic resources included providing scientific support to International Treaty negotiations, chairing the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and leading USAID support for the Global Crop Diversity Trust. He also served in leadership roles within the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Global Action on Fall Armyworm and the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. Prior to joining USAID, he worked in dryland agricultural research with the CGIAR and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s international programs. He currently serves as chief scientist for the Food Security Leadership Council.