Speech by Minister Mauro Vieira on the occasion of the 39th Session of FAO Conference – Rome, June 6th, 2015

Mr. Chairperson, Mr. Le Mamea Ropati Mualia, Minister of Agricultue, Fisheries and Agriculture Store Corporation of Samoa,

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,

Dear Ministers,

Mr. Director-General reelected

Dear Delegates,

Ladies and gentleman,

I have the pleasure and the honor to express the sincere gratitude of President Dilma Rousseff and the entire Government of Brazil for the firm support given by Member States to the reelection of Professor José Graziano da Silva as Director-General of FAO. My government is especially thankful for the historic majority of votes cast in favor of Mr. Graziano.

He was first elected on the basis of the ability he had shown to translate the vision of then President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva regarding hunger and malnutrition into successful public policies. As you know, he was the man behind the conception and execution of the “Zero Hunger Program” in its very beginning. The effectiveness of the work started by Professor Graziano will be celebrated tomorrow, when Brazil will be acknowledged for having left the hunger map. This is surely no small victory.

Today, you have reelected Director-General Graziano on the basis of his proved record at FAO. Under his leadership, FAO changed for the better.

The adoption of the five strategic objectives, the process of decentralization and the reform on the allocation of resources are true milestones. They help to prepare FAO and our countries to guarantee to everyone the right to adequate food in a context of climate change, in close relation with the agenda of sustainable development.

Under Mr. Graziano's direction and with your full support, FAO is also spreading best practices that help create virtuous circles of socioeconomic and environmental development, such as local purchases from family farming for school feeding. The organization is also at the forefront of efforts to open up the UN System. As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated, the World Food Security Committee is the most democratic instance of the whole UN System.

However, more is needed. There remain key challenges before us, both as national Governments and as the international community.

The right to food is a fundamental and universal right. It is our constant responsibility to protect and promote it, especially whenever and wherever threatened or denied.

To this end, we must overcome serious challenges such as climate change and socio-environmental disasters; water shortages; land degradation; zoonoses and biotechnological risks. If we remain united, we will overcome them. Divided, we would be certainly defeated.

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,

Dear Ministers,

Today, we have a real chance to eliminate the scourge of hunger in a world that produces enough food to all, but where seven hundred and ninety five million people still starve. They do so, not because of insufficient production, but of grave income disparities. If our cooperation proves to be able to eradicate hunger, we will have built a true community of nations.

In concluding, I thank you, once again, on behalf of President Dilma Rousseff and the Brazilian Government, for placing your confidence in Professor Graziano for a second term.

He is fully aware that overcoming the plight of the hungry in a sustainable and sustained manner is the only measure of his success – of our success - in accomplishing the mission and fulfilling the very purpose of FAO.

I kindly ask you to continue to provide him your invaluable support.

Thank you.