066 | Promoting U.S. Agriculture Abroad with Olutayo Akingbe

Thank you , happy to be here . Thanks for taking the time to do this . Let's dive right in . Let's tell the world who you are and what it is you do for a living .

We're the trade arm pretty much of the US Department of Agriculture , so our job is to promote US agricultural exports to the rest of the world , so we promote trade and global food security .

I work there as a foreign service officer and I've been with FAS for about eight years almost nine years and we'll probably get into this but I kind of have two roles right now . So I'm a foreign service officer but I'm also on a DC assignment as a climate advisor for the Foreign Ag Service .

So to be a foreign service officer , it's the same thing where you work overseas at a US embassy , but for foreign ag service , we are basically the eyes , hands , ears of USDA at whatever foreign service or whatever embassy that we are posted in . For me , I did one tour at the US embassy in Cairo from 2019 to 2022 .

And there our job was to promote US exports of agriculture to Egypt and also the region , because my office was a regional post . It was based in Cairo , but we cover Jordan , israel , syria , lebanon and Iraq . So that's it in a nutshell , but it can mean all sorts of things . So we do market intelligence , we do ag reporting , we do capacity building projects .

So , depending on where you're posted , we do all sorts of things .

There's so many different cooperators that represent US agriculture , that represent US farmers and ranchers , so we are , we work , in partnership with them to promote their goods overseas in the markets that we're located so interesting , right , because I think so specifically for me .

You know trade is good for the US economy , for the global economy and sometimes there's , you know , there could be barriers to trade and so we're there trying to make sure those barriers are don't inhibit US exports in different countries .

So that's , yeah , working on working with the host government to on different trade policies , on different ag policies , but all to represent US farmers and ranchers in the US .

The way the government works is that there's one agency like , just like the US , we have agencies that work on food safety . We have agencies that work on all the different kind of regulations for food products to end up on the shelves . So in Israel it was like two different agencies or two different ministries that had a hand in beef jerky .

So you're working on is it a meat product ? Is it a processed product ? So it's like . So our job really was to kind of get them to work together to figure out , okay , what is the regulation that needs to be put in place so that US beef jerky can get into the country , and so that was like a two to three year project of like working with the industry .

So a lot of the stuff that we're working on it's very like slow moving , but once it it , it works , it , it works , and so then we have so now we , you can see US beef , kosher beef jerky in Israel . So that's one that I worked on while I was there , that I was pretty proud of , and I do want to say that .

So we have US Foreign Service officers who work in the embassies overseas , but we also have a very talented , huge number of local staff that work in the country . So , you know , I was working with our local employees , our Israeli employees , to work on this project . Or if I'm in Egypt , it's , yeah , working with our Egyptian employees .

So they're the ones who really , you know , have the contacts , they're the ones who are kind of working within their ministries to make a lot of these things happen .

So one of the biggest things about being a foreign service officer is that you know you're a diplomat , you're , you are working , you're working , you're diplomatic channels , you're , you are using your diplomatic skills and those kind of social skills to at least for US Foreign Service officers , for the US government .

So it's a lot of those intangible conversations that are happening . A lot of phone calls , meetings , things like that . So that could be on a typical day . And then also US Department of Agriculture puts out I think it's the Global Agricultural Information Network . Yes , gain , g-a-i-n . You can Google it .

It's one of one of our like our bread and butter , of what we put out there . So we're doing reports on the agricultural situation in different countries . So that's something that I'm working on . So , for example , in Egypt , we put out a report on the grape industry , like , okay , what did their harvest look like this year ?

What are their exports and imports looking like ? How much are they processing , how much are they consuming in countries ? So these are the reporting that we do for all sorts of commodities and we do this all over the world and it's public information so anyone can look those up .

So that's also during like my typical work day , working with the local staff on that . And then , depending on the post , we do like marketing activities , marketing programs , so it could be working at a trade show or something like that , so working with our cooperators there . So we have trade shows all over the world . We have agricultural trade missions .

We usually have like a senior level USDA , a senior leader at USDA go and lead a trade mission in a different country . So they're bringing a whole bunch of US businesses to the country . Like , say , recently we had one in Canada . I think there's one going on in Columbia , like next month , one in Vietnam coming up in a couple months .

And so we , those of us who are on the ground , we're helping create those business to business meetings , setting up meetings with different buyers . So yeah , that's just to touch on some of the things that we do as ag foreign service officers .

So I think , yeah , I would just say like it's just super interesting . Each day , I think that's what it is , and every day I'm doing something different .

I work with just stellar employees , like I I mean , in my career , I mean , I've had some really great jobs , but the people I work with at FAS are so dedicated and they're so smart and so on top of their game . That keeps me like very interested every , every day when I do my job .

And then , yeah , just working on these very , very important issues supporting US farmers and ranchers yeah , yeah , it's pretty interesting . And then , now that I'm in Washington , I also work on our climate change portfolio . So , working on food , agriculture and climate issues all very important things . So , yeah , I think that's what keeps me going .

You work in Washington for a little bit and then you go on to your , you go overseas after you're trained up and you go overseas and become an attache and then from there you , you do at FAS . It's three to four year tours . After you're done with your tour , you can bid on another country that you want to live in .

For me , I bid on to come back to Washington . So I've been in Washington on a yeah , on a domestic tour , is what you call it .

Yeah , so as a domestic Foreign Service officer , you're still working on the mission of food and agricultural trade , but in Washington it's like you pick up a role where there's a need , and so here there was a position available to work on FAS and USDA's climate strategy , working on a lot of our climate goals , and so that's how I took on this role .

I was coming back from Egypt and I was like okay , this looks good . So then I started that .

So tell me more about the tours that you've done and how that process goes right , because it seems like a big undertaking to leave your house , to leave your family , to leave your friends and say I'm going to go and stay somewhere for a couple of years in a whole nother country that I've never been to .

For me personally , I've only done one tour , one official tour in Egypt . I did do a short-term detail assignment in Ottawa , canada . That was also very rewarding . So basically , when you apply to the Foreign Service , you work in Washington , at least for Foreign Ag Service .

You work in Washington for a bit and then each fall there's what they call a bid list and they have all the different countries where there's positions available and then you bid on it like any type of job application .

So if you see a position in Tokyo or in New Delhi or Seoul or Bogota , like you , just you see whatever position , what cities are available , you rank them , which ones that you want to do most , and it's kind of like a matchmaking .

So their senior leadership takes a look at who are the officers , where are they bidding and where would be the best fit , and then within I think , like within a couple months or less than they make their decision , and then you're off within the next year , or two years , depending on if it's a hard language post . So for me , I was in Cairo .

I had to spend a year learning Arabic before I could go overseas , so that was also fun . So that's also a perk of the job .

It was during the fall , so there were a good number of folks going through that process in that moment and folks were because you're talking to people throughout the world , right , like some people had calls at like midnight because they're talking to someone in Tokyo or something right , and it's like that matchmaking process is intense , it's condensed and it's very

much you positioning yourself to rank the way that I understood it . You rank the placements that you would prefer and then they tell you where you rank for them as well , so you're able to have that conversation , but it's an intense process .

So it's like it's not only matchmaking for okay , this , I want to work in this country because they're working on these issues and I'm interested in that . But it's like , okay , is it a place where I can live , where I can thrive , where my family can thrive ? So it's a lot to take into consideration .

But you need that if you're going to go and represent the United States properly , and you need to do a lot of homework on the country and on the industries and on what's happening on the ground before you get there . You can't just get there and learn it on the fly because you're representing the United States , so it makes sense .

It's just something that , in my career path , is not something that's common .

Yeah , like you said , it's like what other career would you have where you're getting paid to learn a language , to sit and learn a language for a year to a point where you can be conversational and , yeah , like , have those conversations with counterparts ?

Some people , like , depending on where you go and the people's schedules and their time commitment , some people end up not taking language and just going out there and , just like , you know what , I'll figure it out .

I don't recommend that route because , even if you don't become fluent in the language , showing that you actually took the time to learn a person or a country's language , their culture , like I said , like diplomacy is like the heart of what we do , like that just pays dividends , you know so , even so , for me , egyptians are like the warmest people in the world

and Even , like , I'll say my little bit of Arabic and they'll be like oh my gosh , you speak so well . I've never heard such Arabic . You know like , ok , I just counted to 10 , you know . So it's just . I think they appreciate it .

They know that Arabic is a very hard language , very hard on so many levels , but the fact that you know I took time to just try to learn , yeah , it just opened so many doors and people appreciate

it .

So it wasn't until like my last year in grad school , where I did a project on the cashew industry in Mozambique and I was like , oh okay , this is what I want to do Agriculture , this is so fun and so interesting .

So that's how I kind of fell into agriculture and then I kind of ended up in development for a little bit and I was working for some , I guess you would say , like NGOs or USAID contractors , but I knew I wanted to live overseas .

I knew that I wanted that to be part of my career , part of my life , because I was born and raised in Maryland , the DC area , and I just wanted that experience and I was looking at different avenues . And it was actually through the ICAP network , even though I wasn't an ICAP alum at that point .

There used to be like a joint list served with this other fellowship that I was part of called the Institute for International Public Policy , through the Department of Education . Unfortunately it doesn't exist anymore , but it was a wonderful organization . That was a fellowship that I was part of , but IIPP and ICAP used to have like kind of like a sisterhood .

So , long story short , I was on the ICAP listserv and an FAS ICAP alum put out into the listserv hey , they're hiring for the foreign service at FAS , you know , apply . And so I'd known about FAS . I was interested in the agency itself , but I didn't know that they had a foreign service .

And so I reached out to that person , who is still a dear friend and colleague to this day , and I was like tell me about this , what is this ? And so , yeah , so that's kind of how I fell into it .

I wouldn't have been able to tell you at the beginning of my career that this is where I'd end up , but it was just a matter of getting the right information at the right time . I was looking to make a move . I knew I wanted to live overseas , I knew I wanted to do ag . So it was kind of the perfect , yeah , opportunity at the perfect time .

And so that's how I ended up here .

Tell me more about where did you end up going to grad school and do you feel like you got what you needed out of it ?

You know , they finance an internship overseas , they finance a language immersion program , which I did in France after grad school , but they also pay for your grad school . They pay for grad school , yeah , they pay for the fees for school . So because I knew I had this fellowship , I knew I was going to go to grad school . I just went straight through .

So I applied to Columbia my senior year of college and then went straight through . So I graduated . And then to grad school I just went straight through . So I applied to Columbia my senior year of college and then went straight through . So I graduated and then started grad school .

I do not recommend that for people , even though I feel like my career has ended up pretty wonderful . I mean , I'm very satisfied with my career , but I could have gotten more out of my grad school experience if I had a little bit of work experience before starting grad school .

So I was , you know like 21 , 22 years old , with people who have lived overseas , who've worked in these agencies and worked all over the world , and all I had was , yeah , my undergrad degree , and I kind of treated grad school as an extension of undergrad , instead of realizing like , oh , you know , there's so many like intangible benefits of being in grad school

, like the connections that you make .

You know that you're different , there's different students that you're interacting with , but I was like , so focused on like , oh , you know , I need to , you know your exams and all that is very important , but I think I put too much emphasis on getting good grades instead of like , hey , this person , you know , like these people I'm working with , there's a lot I

can get out of that as well .

So I think by the time I went because I was a few years removed from school I was able to like make sure that I was really intentional around networking , going to the happy hours after classes , connecting with people .

You know you build relationships that like afterwards like I've been to some of these folks , like weddings and maybe showers , and you know from like , just from like relationships that we build in grad school , but like those relationships matter , right ? Yeah , so you went from your undergrad in an Ivy League at UPenn right ?

Yeah , particularly as as a Nigerian American I don't know if you've heard those , you know especially like immigrant families it's like , okay , you , doctor , lawyer , like you know , there's very set paths for us . So I thought I would do law . So I actually thought that's kind of where I would end .

I was like , oh , maybe I can do like international law or something like that .

So after I graduated , I mean I knew I needed a break from school and I ended up , yeah , like I mentioned , doing that senior thesis or that grad thesis on the value chain assessment of cashews in Mozambique , did that , and I think I just ended up moving back home to the DC area and I was like you know what ?

This is a great place to start being , you know , at the seat of government , washingtonc . And yeah , I just started applying to different jobs in agriculture and international affairs and development was just kind of just applying because , even though I had my graduate degree , I had my Ivy League degree . It was like I had no experience .

So , you know , I had to start somewhere . So my first job was with this organization called ACDI Boca , which was phenomenal , like a great place for me to land as starting off my career and they do agricultural development , and that was my first job , but it was like as a very entry level position .

So I definitely had to like humble myself and , like you know , I have these Ivy League degrees or whatever . But , yeah , I was making copies and , you know , getting people's mail , so that was how I started .

And then I think I just kind of ended up just building from there and knowing that , yeah , it's just going to be a process , you know , just getting the experience and you know , leveraging that to more responsibility . And then , yeah , then years later , this is kind of how I , how I ended up . I think that answered your question .

But just yeah , just the fact that you have so many resources to kind of figure out , like , what path do I want to take in international affairs ? But if you're specifically interested in the foreign service , definitely looking into the different agencies that do foreign service . So there's State Department , which is more your traditional route .

You can be a consular officer working public affairs , working on political and economic analysis , or you can work in commerce , which is just like Department of Commerce , and that's trade . You could work at USAID , which is development . You could work at foreign ag services , where I work and work on agriculture and agricultural trade .

Just knowing the different avenues to the foreign service that you don't have to take the traditional State Department route , there are many ways to enter the foreign service . So , yeah , so I wish I'd known that earlier in my career . And how to prepare , I think just for me I would say , what helped me a lot was talking to people .

So that ICAP colleague who told me about the foreign service she put me in touch with so many people who could guide me into because once you apply , you have to do the foreign service assessment , which is its own thing , so it's like an oral assessment or written exam . It's a lot .

That's probably a whole other conversation , but I'm happy to talk to any listeners if they have any questions about that . So talking to people who've done the assessment and could kind of guide you through these are the best practices . This is what you should try to do . This is what to expect .

There's also a lot of online guides that can help you walk you through that process . But definitely I mean I just can't say it enough but like relationships , relationship , relationships , networking networking .

It's challenging and yeah , like what we talked about before uprooting yourself , being in a different country . Me , I'm very close to my family . I don't think I realized how close I am to them until I was away from them . I was like this is hard , but I was like time zones away . That was very hard for me .

But definitely , making the most of my experience , it was wonderful , but that was a challenge for me . The Foreign Service can also be very competitive . So you're not only competing for which countries you're going to and then you can see , oh , I wanted to go to this country , my colleague got it instead .

So it was like but you're still colleagues , so should I be happy for them ? But I'm also a little bitter . So there's that part kind of managing those relationships .

And then so there's the bidding part and then the promotion part is also very competitive because the Foreign Service is designed after the military , so it's like up or out , so you only have a certain amount of time to get promoted before you can be asked to exit the foreign service .

So there's a lot of pressure to make sure your write-ups are good and make sure that you're . You know you're doing the best at your job so that it can be reflected in your packet when the board meets to evaluate everyone , and so you can be so excellent at your job .

But you're also competing again with your colleagues and then you're , you're ranked against them . So it's not you aren't , you know , being evaluated just on what you do . It's on what you do compared to your colleagues . So I helped to open a market in Israel , but you know someone else was like did something even greater , you know . So then I couldn't .

You know you can be . Depending on that , you could be ranked lower . So it's , it's super competitive . That can be very delicate trying to navigate that . And it can be very frustrating where you think I should have gotten promoted and you don't .

You know so , knowing that is an aspect of it , and you know again , if you , this is the career that you want to get into this this is part of the things you have to deal with .

So you know , I do appreciate that it is competitive and that it is , you know , challenging in that way so that we have the best out there in the world for us 100% Yep . Yeah . So I'm a big believer that you can do good and do well . So , as a foreign service officer , what can folks expect to make throughout their careers ?

So as a Foreign Service Officer , we go on an FS Scale , foreign Service Scale . So when you start for an ag service , once you get on the plane and you're going overseas , you start off as in what they call a class four . So it goes four , three , two , one and then you go into senior foreign service .

So for class four , I want to say the last time I checked it was like the high 80s , so like 87 to like 120 . So it's a range . So you can see the whole range completely transparent online . So that's where you start and then , yeah , as you get promoted , you go , you know , from class three to class two and then it gets higher from there .

And then also I , you know , can't leave out some of the perks of being in the foreign service is , you know , you get your housing paid for . If you're in a hardship post , they give you rest and relaxation benefit so you can come home or go to another country to relax . I guess you could say so you get that benefit , you get what I mean .

It's like a lot of technical words like post differential COLA , like there's a lot of different financial incentives , I mean .

And then depending on where you're going like the harder the country it is or I would , yeah , try not to use that word hard , but like how different I guess the country is from the United States then you have like different financial benefits as an incentive for you to work in that country .

So you know , if you're working in Paris versus Islamabad , like there's different pay scale that's on top of your salary . So those are the things you can consider as a foreign service officer .

Are there any forms of media books , podcasts , things that you have consumed that you think have helped you personally or professionally ?

So I think , being cause also as a foreign service officer , I think it's across the board in any country you're working a lot . It's it's a lot because you're representing the U ? S government , so there kind of sometimes can might not be an off button . So sometimes you're working during the weekends .

If you have like a , a major visitor come , like we had , like had like Secretary of State Blinken , come to our country . So it's like you know it's all hands on deck so it's a lot of , it could be a lot of work . So I've been kind of working personally a lot on my own personal like boundaries with work and

self-care . So I would say one podcast I love is called Therapy for Black Girls . I don't know if you've heard about this . I know this . It says Therapy for Black Girls . I don't know if you've heard about this .

I know it says therapy for Black girls , but anyone can listen to it , but it does come from that perspective of the particular challenges that Black women face in the world and careers and everything . Love that podcast . I share it with all my girlfriends , but , yeah , anyone can listen to it and I know anyone could get a lot out of it .

So that's a weekly podcast . A book that I've read recently it's called Self-Compassion . Sorry , oh my gosh , I was like I'm thinking of the word self-compassion by Dr Kristen Neff , about how to be kind to yourself and just giving yourself grace . So those two , I would say , help me personally , which does have ramifications for professionally as well .

So therapy for Black girls and self-compassion , I would say , yeah , those would be my recommendations for folks and that's what's gotten me . I've gotten a lot out of those .

And I say that because I think where we were in our fellowship together , there were folks that very much had their eyes on like at some point , I would like to be an ambassador At some point , I would like to be this had their eyes on like , at some point , I would like to be an ambassador At some point , I would like to be this like what are some of

the things to look forward to in this type of career that you can grow into ? And you know , depending on what agency , what path you choose . But just so we have a sense of what what folks can actually work towards .

So , within for the foreign service , yeah , hopefully , if you have a successful career , you keep getting promotions and then you get into the Senior Foreign Service , which is where you're one of the leaders in your agency for the Foreign Service You're helping to set vision and strategy for the Foreign Service , for the agency in and of itself , and then from there ,

so mostly to become ambassador . I think it's mostly State Department who go that route , but other agencies are able to become ambassadors . So for foreign service , for foreign ag service , we've had quite a number of people who've reached that rank of ambassador . I think like three or four , if not more , have reached that rank of ambassador .

So that's where you can go in your career . And I will say also for foreign service , because it is kind of structured after the military and it's up and out , you are required to retire by age 65 .

So the month of the year that you turn 65 , you are , you're out , you're retired , you're retired from the foreign service and so you want to make the most out of your career before you reach that stage .

And then most people because 65 is still pretty young , like you know , if you're still able-bodied , and you know most people decide to start a second career at that point .

You know you have so much experience and particularly working with US farmers and ranchers and those cooperators , you can work , as I've seen a lot of people who've worked as consultants for these industries and still have their hand in food and ag after they retire , after they finish their foreign service career .

So , I would say those are ways or paths you can do once you're in the foreign service and you want to move up .

So you're making the decisions for the mission or on behalf of the US government . It's pretty prestigious to become an ambassador . Yeah , you're setting the tone . And then also , I would say , because each embassy is like a microcosm of the US government , so you have all the different agencies .

So , for example , in Cairo , you know , we had representatives of DOD , of agriculture , of commerce , of all the different government agencies . So you , as the ambassador , are the head of all of that , of just how all these different areas or sections are achieving their mission and making sure that is within the overall US embassy's mission as well in that country .

So it's a pretty cool gig if you make it to that level .

Yeah , I'm passionate about making sure the Foreign Service reflects the diversity of the United States . So we and we're not there yet , we are definitely not there as far as women , representation of Black representation , latino representation , like it's . It's not there yet .

And so I'm very , I'm very passionate about that and making sure that people who may not be aware that this is a career path will know that this is an option , and , um , and mentoring other people to make sure that they know that this is an option , to prepare them for it , to make sure that they thrive in this career .

So , yeah , definitely a huge , yeah , huge passion of mine .

See you next week with some more cheat codes . Peace .