Bachelor's in Agronomy and Master's in Rural Economics and Sociology, Univ. of Sao Paulo; PhD in Economics, State Univ. of Campinas; post-doctorate degrees in Latin American Studies, Univ. College, London and in Environmental Studies, Univ. of California, Santa Cruz. Has worked on issues of food security, rural development and agriculture for over 30 years. Former Lecturer, State University of Campinas, Brazil; also chaired the Master's and Doctoral Programme in Economic Development and Environment, Institute of Economics. 2001, led the team that designed Brazil's "Zero Hunger" (Fome Zero) programme. 2003, Special Minister for Food Security and Fight Against Hunger in Brazil, with emphasis on Zero Hunger Programme. 2006-11, Head, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO, actively supported the Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative, which made the region the first in the world to commit to totally eradicating hunger by 2025, emphasizing the importance of family farming, rural development and the strengthening of rural institutions to guarantee food security; since 2011, Director-General, FAO. Author and Editor of 26 books on rural development, food security, and agrarian economics.