David Bathrick, who served with USAID for more than two decades and was a key advocate in the U.S. for the importance of agricultural development, has died at the age of 84.
Bathrick — a retired USAID minister-counselor, and recipient of a USAID Meritorious Honor Award — died from cancer on Nov. 4, 2025.
He first joined USAID in the late 1960s, when agriculture was still a major focus of the agency’s work but — along with many other donors — its investment in the sector began to decline precipitously from the 1980s onward. From the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, according to a white paper Bathrick authored, agriculture fell from 26% of USAID’s budget to just 2%.
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Jessica Abrahams@jiabrahams
Jessica Abrahams is a former editor of Devex Pro. She helped to oversee news, features, data analysis, events, and newsletters for Devex Pro members. Before that, she served as deputy news editor and as an associate editor, with a particular focus on Europe. She has also worked as a writer, researcher, and editor for Prospect magazine, The Telegraph, and Bloomberg News, among other outlets. Based in London, Jessica holds graduate degrees in journalism from City University London and in international relations from Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals.
