Biotech Updates

Chile’s President Receives FAO Award

March 13, 2009

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet was awarded the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Ceres Medal in honor of her country's progress in promoting agriculture in the fight against hunger. The medal was conferred by FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf at the La Moneda Presidential Palace. Diouf lauded Bachelet for "giving agriculture the importance it deserves" and noted that Chile is one of the countries which are on track in meeting the 1996 World Food Summit commitment to halve the number of people who suffer from hunger. Bachelet is the country's first woman president.

The Ceres Medal, named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, is given to distinguished women who have contributed to the fight against hunger. Previous recipients include Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Queen Sofia of Spain and Thailand's Queen Sirikit.

For more information on the award, visit http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/10457/icode/