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José Graziano da Silva

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José Graziano da Silva
Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 January 2012
Preceded byJacques Diouf
Personal details
Born(1949-11-17)November 17, 1949
Urbana, Illinois, USA
NationalityBrazilian
Alma materEscola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo
ProfessionAgronomist

José Graziano da Silva (born November 17, 1949) is an American-born Brazilian agronomist and writer. As a scholar, he has authored several books about the problems of agriculture in Brazil. Between 2003 and 2004, Graziano served in the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva cabinet as Extraordinary Minister for Food Security, being responsible for implementing the Fome Zero program, which took 28 million people out of the national poverty line during the 8 years of the Lula administration. On June 26, 2011, Graziano was elected as the new Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), becoming the first Latin American ever to do so. He assumed his role as the Director General on January 1, 2012 and his term will last till July 2015.

Biography

Graziano was born on November 17, 1949 in Urbana, Illinois. His parents were Brazilians of Italian origin (from the Calabria region).[1] Therefore, he has triple citizenship: Brazilian, American (by jus soli) and Italian.

Education and academic career

Graziano graduated as an agronomist in 1972, after attending University of São Paulo's Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz.[2] He would also earn an MBA from that same institution in 1974, after presenting a dissertation about the distribution of wealth in Brazil.[2] He would receive his doctor's degree from the Campinas State University in 1980,[2] becoming a professor of Agricultural Economics in this same institution. He would also later receive a post-doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and from the University of London's Institute of Latin American Studies.[2]

Minister for Food Security and career at FAO

On 2001, Graziano coordinated the formulation of the Fome Zero program, one of the main points of the Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva campaign to the presidency.[3] On late 2002, after Lula da Silva became President-elect, Graziano was appointed by him as the Extraordinary Minister for Food Security. From January 1, 2003 to January 23, 2004, he served as head of that body, being responsible for implementing - albeit not devising - the Fome Zero program, which took 28 million people out of the national poverty line during the 8 years of the Lula administration.[4] On January 2004, Lula created the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger to absorb the functions of the Extraordinary Ministry, naming Patrus Ananias as head of the newly created Ministry. After this, Graziano became a special advisor to the Presidency of the Republic.[5]

On March 2006, Graziano became the Assistant Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and its regional representative for Latin America and the Caribbean.[5] During his tenure, Graziano got the countries of Latin America to commit to eradicate hunger by 2025.[5] He also promoted a program regarding rural issues, which defends the strengthening of institutions and public policies aimed at achieving a comprehensive and inclusive development in rural areas.

On 2011, Graziano launched his candidacy for Director General of the FAO. He was elected on June 26, 2011, during the agency's 37th conference in Rome after receiving 92 of the 180 votes on a second ballot.[6] He beat out former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Ángel Moratinos to replace Jacques Diouf, whose 18-year tenure prompted a change in the agency's rules to set term limits.[6] There were four other candidates in the first ballot: Franz Fischler (Austria), Indroyono Soesilo (Indonesia), Mohammad Saeid Noori Naeini (Iran), and Latif Rashid (Iraq).[5] Graziano's term as Director General of FAO will begin on January 1, 2012 and end on July 2015.[5]

Oxfam welcomed Graziano's victory, saying he had the expertise and commitment to "transform our broken food system and make the shift toward a new agricultural future".[6] The United States also welcomed Graziano's election, stressing the need for continued reform and a push for sustainable agricultural development, greater access to nutritional crops and more opportunities for women and small-scale farmers.[6]

Works

Graziano is the author of important publications about rural development, food security, and agrarian economics. He has 25 published books, including O que é a questão agrária? (Template:Lang-en), his most publicized work, originally published by the Brasiliense publishing house in 1980.

Personal life

Graziano is married to journalist Paola Ligasacchi. He has two children and two grandchildren.

Awards and recognition

Graziano is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, such as the Order of Rio Branco, bestowed by the Brazilian president; the Paulista Medal for Scientific and Technological Merit, conferred by the São Paulo State government; and the Brazilian Society of Rural Economics, Administration and Sociology Award (Prêmio SOBER).

References

  1. ^ "Decisão do STF sobre Battisti é indiscutível, diz Graziano" (in Portuguese). Diário Comércio, Indústria & Serviços. June 27, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Graziano da Silva, José. Biography in: O que é Questão Agrária (in Portuguese). 13th ed. São Paulo: Brasiliense, 1980 (1st ed). vol. 18 (Coleção Primeiros Passos).
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ "Agrónomo brasileiro José Graziano poderá ser director-geral da FAO". O País. June 20, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d e Velásquez, Kelly (AFP). "José Graziano da Silva é o novo diretor geral da FAO" (in Portuguese). Yahoo! Notícias. June 26, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d [2]

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