Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, writes in a Huffington Post opinion piece, “My top priority for 2012 will be to make a renewed push towards [achieving the first millennium development goal of halving the proportion of people living in hunger and extreme poverty by 2015], but also to look beyond it, to the final, total eradication of hunger from this planet. Obviously, it is not something that FAO can do alone. It needs a new international mobilization, the support of decision-makers everywhere, and a concerted effort by the entire U.N. family and other development partners.”

“One challenge is to use the knowledge and experience FAO has and is developing in many areas, such as sustainable agriculture and women’s empowerment,” Graziano da Silva writes before expanding on these two issues. He concludes, “Although our task will be made harder by the uncertain economic outlook, I am convinced that with a fresh approach and renewed efforts, plus measures to strengthen the global governance of food security, we can build the necessary momentum for the total eradication of hunger” (1/5).