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15

Years of
experience

Professional Bio:

Sarah is a dedicated professional with over a decade of experience in sustainable agriculture and food system development. She is passionate about advancing resilient and environmentally sound food systems and has consistently pursued these objectives across diverse global contexts.

Most recently, Sarah provided strategic direction and oversight for the Feed the Future, resilience, and WASH portfolios at USAID/Uganda. Prior to her role with USAID, she served as the Environment and Social Safeguard Specialist for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Cox’s Bazar, where she worked to operationalize the “do no harm” approach to protect both the environment and communities in the Rohingya refugee camps.

Sarah has also contributed to rebuilding agricultural systems in Iraq through her work with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In this role, she applied expertise in semi-arid and arid agriculture systems gained from previous positions with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Jordan and the Center for Development Research (ZEF) in Germany.

From 2015 to 2017, Sarah worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, supporting food assistance programs for tribal communities. Earlier in her career, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Shobak, Jordan, promoting community-led development and teaching English.

Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Science and Natural Resource Management from the University of Bonn and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Middlebury College.

Skills & Expertise:

Project Management; Humanitarian Assistance, MEL, Agriculture & Food Security, Conflict & Stabilization, WASH, Climate & Resilience, Digital Development, ICT4D

Sectors of Work:

International Development, Economic Growth, Emergency Relief, Climate & Environment, Technology & Innovation

Languages Spoken:

English, Arabic

Agriculture & Food Security Expert
Sarah Elizabeth Barnhart
Agriculture & Food Security Expert

Seasoned USAID Agriculture Foreign Service Officer with 12+ years in Global Development

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