
Caitlin Welsh is the director of the Global Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she analyzes the economic, political, social, and environmental drivers and consequences of food insecurity in the United States and around the world. Her specific areas of focus include the impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine on global food security, the relationship of food security to climate change and water security, food insecurity in the U.S. military, and malnutrition in all its forms. Prior to joining CSIS, Ms. Welsh had over a decade of experience in the U.S. government, including the National Security Council and National Economic Council, where she served as director for global economic engagement with responsibility for the G7 and G20, and the Department of State’s Office of Global Food Security, where she served as acting director. Ms. Welsh served as a presidential management fellow at the U.S. African Development Foundation and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. She has testified before Congress on global food security on multiple occasions, and her analysis has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, PBS, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, BBC, Newsweek, and other outlets. Ms. Welsh received her BA from the University of Virginia and MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and hails from Erie, Pennsylvania.
In the News
Janet Yellen Pledges to Deepen Africa Ties as U.S. Wards Off Russian, Chinese Influence
Caitlin Welsh in The Wall Street Journal — January 20, 2023
Congress barely dents scourge of hunger in military
Caitlin Welsh in Roll Call — January 13, 2023
There Aren’t Enough Ships to Carry Russia’s Crude
Caitlin Welsh and Joseph Glauber in Bloomberg — November 9, 2022
Western leaders blast Russia's exit from grain deal that's helped ease global hunger
Caitlin Welsh in NPR — October 30, 2022
Ukraine’s Success in Turning Back Russia’s Invasion Could Aggravate Global Food Shortages
Caitlin Welsh in Forbes — October 14, 2022
How the war in Ukraine is affecting the world's supply of fertilizer
Caitlin Welsh in NPR — September 28, 2022
Federal Government’s $20 Billion Embrace of ‘Climate Smart’ Farming
Caitlin Welsh in The New York Times — September 26, 2022
Without Mentioning China, California Close to Blocking Foreign Buyers From Its Farmland
Caitlin Welsh in Voice of America — September 17, 2022
All content by Caitlin Welsh
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The Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS): Keynote Address and Armchair Discussion with Dr. Cary Fowler with Special Remarks from Ambassador Cindy McCain
Event by Dr. Cary Fowler , Ambassador Cindy McCain , John J. Hamre , and Caitlin Welsh — February 1, 2023

Recognizing the Role of Food Safety to Food and Nutrition Security with Caroline Smith DeWaal
Podcast Episode by Caitlin Welsh — December 16, 2022

Beyond Black Sea Grains: The Global Malnutrition Crisis Caused by Russia’s War in Ukraine
Critical Questions by Caitlin Welsh and Anita Kirschenbaum — December 16, 2022

Climate Change and Malnutrition: Many Channels for Impact, Many Opportunities to Act
Event by Caitlin Welsh , William Moore , Gillian Caldwell , Jessica Colston , and Rania Dagash-Kamara — December 7, 2022

Reporting on Food Security and Global Diets from a Gender Perspective
Podcast Episode by Caitlin Welsh — December 2, 2022

Agriculture in Wartime: Threats and Opportunities for Ukraine with Farmer Kees Huizinga, Agricultural Economist Antonina Broyaka, and USAID DAA Mark Simakovsky
Event by Caitlin Welsh , Kees Huizinga , Mark Simakovsky , and Antonina Broyaka — November 15, 2022

Reaffirming IFAD’s Priorities for COP27 with Jo Puri
Podcast Episode by Caitlin Welsh — November 4, 2022

Russia’s UN Grain Deal Boomerang: Implications for the Deal and Global Food Prices
Critical Questions by Joseph Glauber , Caitlin Welsh , and David Laborde — November 4, 2022

Panel 3: Great Disruption in Global Food Systems
Event by Caitlin Welsh — October 13, 2022

Rural Livelihood Resilience: Keynote Address and Armchair Discussion with IFAD President Alvaro Lario
Transcript by Caitlin Welsh — October 13, 2022
