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From Madison to the U.N.
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by Nick Penzenstadler
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A top-ranking United Nations official was named this year's University of Wisconsin Distinguished International Visitor Tuesday and will arrive in Madison Jan. 19.
Florence Chenoweth, a UW alumna who now serves as a UN Food and Agriculture representative will visit this semester for a series of events. Chenoweth, who is originally from Liberia, has done extensive work in global agricultural economics and has aided in the rebuilding of Africa's agriculture policy since apartheid.
In a phone interview with The Badger Herald, Chenoweth said she has been working in the field for the past 36 years.
"I can say that I now, finally, after all of these years, understand the policy of hunger and challenges that developing countries face, whether they are natural or man-made," she said. "Many times working with the poor, breaking the 'policy trap,' is not easy."
According to Chenoweth, after completing her Masters study in agricultural economics at UW in 1968, she returned in 1980 at the outbreak of the military coup in Africa for her Ph.D. in land resources.
Michael Schatzberg, director of the UW African Studies program, said Chenoweth will bring a unique interaction with students at the university.
"We think this is a terrific resource for both students and faculty," he said. "We are absolutely thrilled that she's coming, and she's also a Badger."
Chenoweth said she also returned last May to receive an honorary degree and speak at the graduation ceremonies.
After receiving her doctoral degree, Chenoweth joined a group from Virginia Tech University and Nathan Associates in Washington, D.C., to work on a $17 million United States Agency for International Development project. As the UW representative, Chenoweth eventually took the lead on the project that spanned six years in Africa.
"Immediately after [receiving my degree], I went back to Africa to do work with the World Bank as the technical advisor for Zambia for agricultural planning and then came back to the US," Chenoweth added.
According to a UW release, Chenoweth became Africa's first female minister of agriculture in 1977 when she was 32 and spending time in Liberia. In 2001, Chenoweth took over as the Food and Agriculture liaison for the UN at her current post in New York.
Chenoweth said she now heads the New York office, which reports to the UN's main Food and Agricultural headquarters in Rome.
Chenoweth said developing nations around the world look to the UN for aid with agricultural advice.
"[We help when] you have a government that wants to restructure its policy and wants international expertise in planning for agricultural sector," Chenoweth said.
Throughout the semester, Chenoweth will be at several public events still in the works, Schatzberg said.
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