JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA, elected Director-General of FAO

The Brazilian candidate José Graziano da Silva, former Extraordinary Minister Coordinator of the "Zero Hunger Program" during the first term of President Lula da Silva , has been elected Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, in Rome. In a tight dispute, Graziano got 92 votes against 88 for his competitor, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos. He got the support of most of the developing countries, especially from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Portuguese Speaking Countries, the G-77+ China, which endorsed his bid in the final round, and also from the candidates of Indonesia and Iran, defeated in the previous rounds.

FAO's mission is precisely enhancing food production and distribution in order to defeat hunger in the world. Its budget has reached US$ 500 million per year during the biennium 2010/2011. Brazil holds the full credential to be represented at the head of this United Nations Agency, not only by reason of its results in fighting hunger inside the country but especially because of its outstanding technical cooperation in agriculture with 81 developing countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, by means of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, EMBRAPA .

Graziano will take his post on 1st January 2012.

(read more about Mr José Graziano da Silva)