Mr. José Graziano da Silva of Brazil was elected Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today Graziano da Silva, who is 61, received a total of 92 votes out of 180 votes cast, winning over former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé, who received 88 votes. There were no abstentions.
The election took place on the second day of the biennial 191 member nation Conference of FAO, which also will vote on the Organization's budget for 2012-2013.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov was involved in the vote. The mandate has been reduced to four years, as the new leader will be allowed only twice to head FAO, explained Minister Naydenov. The term of the new Director-General, who will succeed Senegal's Jacques Diouf, will start on 1 January 2012 and run through 31 July 2015. He hopes that the new director of the organization will be to reform the organization and enhance food production worldwide, the minister said. He added that he will take on task to fight against food prices rise.