Caitlin Welsh is the director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where she analyzes the drivers and consequences of food and water insecurity around the world, including for U.S. national security. Her specific areas of focus include the impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine on global food security and nutrition, food insecurity in the U.S. military, and the coherence between U.S. global water security policy and U.S. global food security policy. Prior to joining CSIS, Ms. Welsh served for over 12 years in the U.S. government, including at the National Security Council and National Economic Council as director for global economic engagement with responsibility for the G7 and G20, and at the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Food Security, where she served as acting director. Ms. Welsh was a presidential management fellow at the U.S. African Development Foundation and 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, CNN, 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.
Media Queries
- H. Andrew Schwartz
- Chief Communications Officer
- 202.775.3242
- aschwartz@csis.org
- Samuel Cestari
- Media Relations Coordinator, External Relations
- 202.775.7317
- scestari@csis.org
In the News
Russia is winning the global grain war
Caitlin Welsh in Politico — March 19, 2024
Russia is winning the global grain war
Caitlin Welsh in Politico — March 19, 2024
Europe’s Farmer Protests Are Part of a Bigger Problem
Caitlin Welsh in Foreign Policy — February 20, 2024
Despite Bumper Grain Harvest, China Faces Challenge of Food Security
Caitlin Welsh in VOA — December 28, 2023
A conversation on food security and national security
Caitlin Welsh in Axios — October 16, 2023
Here’s one big reason (among many) for continued U.S. support of Ukraine
Caitlin Welsh in Washington Post — October 8, 2023
Russia wields ‘silent weapon’ of grain exports to weaken Ukraine
Caitlin Welsh in CNN — October 5, 2023
Israeli ambassador protests as Iranian president speaks - as it happened
Caitlin Welsh in The Guardian — September 19, 2023
All Caitlin Welsh Content
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Agriculture in Wartime: Threats and Opportunities for Ukraine with Farmer Kees Huizinga, Agricultural Economist Antonina Broyaka, and USAID DAA Mark Simakovsky
Event — 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 — October 13, 2022
Rural Livelihood Resilience: Keynote Address and Armchair Discussion with IFAD President Alvaro Lario
Transcript by Caitlin Welsh — October 13, 2022
Rural Livelihood Resilience: Keynote Address and Armchair Discussion with IFAD President Alvaro Lario
Event — October 12, 2022
Redesigning Food Systems as a Solution to Climate Change with Zitouni Ould-Dada
Podcast Episode by Caitlin Welsh — October 7, 2022
Reassessing Global Food Security Implications of the Russia-Ukraine War with Joseph Glauber and David Laborde
Podcast Episode by Caitlin Welsh — September 23, 2022
Biosolutions: The Future of Food with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
Event — September 21, 2022
Rebuilding Ukraine’s Agriculture Sector: Emerging Priorities
Commentary by Caitlin Welsh and Emma Dodd — September 13, 2022