Ļć½¶Ö±²„president addresses international food and agriculture agency, expands partnerships in Rome
Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.āĻć½¶Ö±²„ās work to address key challenges of the 21st century was the focus of a speech delivered by Ļć½¶Ö±²„President Mark E. Keenum in Italy today [Nov. 6].
At the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome, Keenum addressed an audience of FAO officials and staff, as well as ambassadors to the UNās mission in the historic capital city.
āWe know that agriculture is a key to transforming developing nations and reducing poverty,ā he said. āWe also know that for the United States, investing in international agriculture aid pays dividends domestically.ā
According to the FAO, more than 820 million people suffer from chronic hunger and about 736 million people live in extreme poverty. The agency is working with its partners to āachieve a world without hunger, malnutrition and poverty and do so in a sustainable manner.ā
Keenum described the impact major research universities in the United States, like MSU, can have in the global fight against hunger and poverty.
āAmerican universities, and particularly land-grant institutions such as Ļć½¶Ö±²„, are well equipped to help governments, international organizations like FAO, the private business sector, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in addressing these pervasive problems,ā he said. āLand-grant universities have knowledge, infrastructure and experience pertinent to every aspect of the food chain, from the laboratory to the farm to the market to the table. Our challenge is to bring our resources to bear on critical global issues.ā
A former Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keenum has made food security a central focus of his professional life. Currently, he serves as chairman of both the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the Board of International Food and Agricultural Development.
Mississippi State is ranked in the top 10 nationally for agriculture and natural resources research and development, generating more than $100 million in expenditures annually. The university is actively engaged in support of Mississippi agriculture, which has a nearly $8 billion annual farm-gate value and employs more than a quarter of the workforce in the state.
In addition to the speech, Keenum signed agreements to expand Mississippi Stateās partnership with the FAO. The memorandums of understanding will create three new programs offering international internship, fellowship and volunteer opportunities for Ļć½¶Ö±²„students, recent graduates and faculty.
āRome continues to be a priority for us as our global engagement efforts grow in depth and scope academically and in research,ā said Ļć½¶Ö±²„Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw. āThese new agreements will benefit our students and faculty, and also contribute to FAOās overall mission.ā
Shaw and Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan joined Keenum for meetings in Rome with the FAO and several additional Ļć½¶Ö±²„partners in the city, including the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Arkansas Rome Center.
Jordan also continues to serve as associate vice president for international programs and director of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„International Institute.
āThe study abroad opportunities for our students and faculty exchanges we have in place in Rome will benefit from the additional agreements with the FAO,ā Jordan said. āInternational engagement is based on having successful partnerships, and we are fortunate to have great partners in Rome and a thriving collaborative culture at MSU.ā
Ļć½¶Ö±²„has a long-standing relationship with the FAO, with research partnerships focused on food safety, nutrition, aquatic animal health and agriculture, among other areas. The FAO and the World Food Programme have recognized Ļć½¶Ö±²„as a Center for Knowledge for Aquatic Health.
Mississippi State offers a study abroad program for students at Arkansasā Rome Center. Housed in a 500-year-old building in the ancient yet modern city, the program offers courses in architecture, art, interior design, humanities, fashion design, historic preservation and business.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„has hosted more than a dozen students from Tor Vergata over the past few years. In the summer of 2020, students and faculty from MSUās Bagley College of Engineering will be visiting the public research university.
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .