Professional Photo of Carmen Benson

Carmen Benson

United States Senior Associate, Agriculture and Economic Growth, Tetra Tech ARD Tetra Tech

Carmen Benson is the Project Manager and former Senior Counselor on the BIFAD Support Contract at Tetra Tech. In this role, Tetra TEch provides thought leadership and administrative and logistical support to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), a presidentially appointed board that advises USAID on agriculture and higher education issues pertinent to food insecurity in developing countries. 

Carmen has 15+ years of experience leading and supporting capacity building programs, emphasizing inclusive agricultural education, research, and extension systems. Carmen previously served as Chief of Party, leading a USAID-funded project in Afghanistan to build public research capacity while empowering women in research. Previous experience includes volunteer, Fulbright Specialist, military, and technical assignments in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste.

Areas of Expertise:

Latest Submissions

Banner image with the title of the event and event date and time details: September 6th 2021 at 4:30 pm EAT which is 9:30 am Eastern U.S

Agricultural Innovation for African Sustainability and Resilience: A World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue Side Event

Oct 22, 2021 online
Investments in agricultural research and development generate among the greatest impacts on agricultural productivity growth and poverty reduction per dollar spent, though most African governments invest less than 1% of agricultural GDP in agricultural research. This virtual event is structured as a dialogue, building on earlier events from the UN Food Systems Summit and AGRF 2021, convening leaders to identify the priority actions for investments in agricultural research, development, and extension and an enabling policy environment. 
One of the 10,000 farmers served by the Koga irrigation scheme in Ethiopia uses a chameleon sensor to help determine how much to irrigate.

The Critical Role of Research and Development in Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems

Jul 07, 2021 online
At this U.N. Food Systems Summit Science Days side event, leaders across the private and public research and development sectors identify and discuss the key actions needed to advance adaptive agricultural research and development to support the steady stream of technological innovations necessary for resilient and sustainable food systems.