World agriculture is doing a very good job of providing food to feed the world’s people. Yet about 845 million people go to bed hungry each day, so there’s no reason to be complacent.

That was the message of Dr. David A. Harcharik, deputy director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, speaking Oct. 18 to about 200 faculty and students in the colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Natural Resources. Harcharik’s seminar topic was, “The State of the World’s Natural Resources, Food and Agriculture.”

The seminar, sponsored by the two colleges, is likely to become an annual event. At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Larry Neilsen, dean of the College of Natural Resources, announced that both colleges would like to use the seminar to mark World Food Day, held Oct. 16 each year.

Harcharik, who earned his doctorate in forestry from N.C. State, also holds degrees from Iowa State University and Duke University. This year, he was named Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Natural Resources.

A panel of faculty joined Harcharik to discuss the state of the world’s food, forestry and agriculture. They included Dr. Erin Sills, assistant professor of forestry; Dr. Gerald Huntington, assistant professor of animal science; and Dr. Gene Brothers, associate professor and Cooperative Extension specialist in parks, recreation and tourism management.

—Natalie Hampton