The Foreign Service Journal, April 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2022 27 food security through a global network of nearly 100 offices cov- ering approximately 180 countries. A typical background of an FAS FSO is agricultural economics; FAS officers publish produc- tion forecasts and other market intelligence, break down barriers to U.S. food and agricultural exports, promote U.S. agricultural products (from pregnant heifers to wine) and implement trade capacity building programs. In contrast, APHIS’ Foreign Service veterinarians and plant specialists apply their technical expertise to ensure safe trade, facilitating the negotiation of science-based animal and plant health trade agreements and monitoring and reporting on serious plant and animal pests and diseases to pre- vent their entry to the United States. In 1987 APHIS created a new division called International Services to manage its Foreign Service and lead on international issues. APHIS FSOs were called on to spearhead technical trade discussions, address technical trade and regulatory issues in inter- national forums; conduct cooperative pest and disease surveys, as well as control and eradication activities; and oversee inspections and clearance of agricultural products in foreign countries. APHIS FSOs were trained in diplomacy and cross-cultural awareness in addition to receiving technical training in plant and animal pests and diseases and how to prevent their spread. Even as it created its Foreign Service, however, in contrast to other Foreign Service agencies, APHIS remained primarily a domestic-focused agency (with 8,000 Civil Service employees, compared to, at the time, approximately 90 FSOs). The APHIS mis- sion statement reads: APHIS “protects the health of U.S. agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases, regulates genetically engineered crops, administers the Animal Welfare Act, and helps people and wildlife coexist. APHIS also certifies the health of U.S. agricultural exports and resolves phytosanitary and sanitary issues to open, expand and maintain markets for U.S. plant and animal products.” A New Foreign Service in Action In its first decade, APHIS’ new Foreign Service focused primarily on operational efforts—for instance, building capacity in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to eradicate African swine fever, and advancing screwworm eradication and medfly control. Management and imple- mentation of overseas agriculture product inspection programs were another APHIS priority during this time. Overseas inspec- tion through a “preclearance program,” paid for by foreign gov- ernment agricultural producers, reduces the risk that a pest or disease will be brought onto U.S. soil. Two large such programs were the Dutch bulb and Chilean fruit preclearance programs. In Chile, the preclearance program is made possible through close collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture/ APHIS, the Chilean Agriculture and Livestock Services (SAG) and One of the few “all hands” photos of the APHIS Foreign Service and HQ support staff that exist, taken in 2004. For many years, APHIS FSOs numbered between 50-60; today it is 30. COURTESYOFKARENSLITER APHISVIENNA To help bring the 2001 U.K. foot-and-mouth disease outbreak under control, and protect U.S. livestock, APHIS veterinarians worked in the U.K. diagnosing infected animals, supervising slaughter and supporting U.K. farmers. Here APHIS vets (Karen Sliter at right) share a rare moment of levity and stress release during what were 18-hour workdays. Personal protective equipment was essential, and the vets had to “scrub in” anew at each farm to prevent disease spread.