São Paulo – The director-general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Brazil’s José Graziano da Silva, is the sole candidate in the upcoming elections for the position, slated for the 39th FAO Conference, from June 6th to 13th.
According to information released by the FAO last Sunday (1st), Graziano was the only candidate to have a nomination submitted, by the Brazilian government, on the deadline for application, January 31st.
FAO has said in a news release that its director-generals usually stay in office for two consecutive terms. Graziano was elected for the first time in 2011.
FAO is the United Nations agency in charge of coordinating food distribution to countries and areas whose food security is threatened. Crop failure, prolonged drought, natural disaster, conflict, and extreme poverty are some of the scenarios handled by the FAO. The organization works in tandem with small-scale farmers to sponsor family farming, and conducts food cost research and assessment.
Prior to being the FAO director-general in Rome, the agronomist José Graziano da Silva was the coordinator of Programa Fome Zero, Brazil’s hunger relief program, and minister extraordinaire for Food Security and Hunger Relief. Graziano’s predecessor as FAO director-general was Senegal’s Jacques Diouf.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
