United States official chosen for senior post at UN anti-hunger agency

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today that James G. Butler of the United States has been appointed Deputy Director-General of the Rome-based anti-hunger agency.

Mr. Butler, who is expected to assume his new post in January 2008, succeeds David Harcharik, who has held the number two position at the FAO since the start of 1998.

In a statement announcing the appointment, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said Mr. Butler has worked at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture since December 2005 and before then served as a senior official with the US Department of Agriculture.