Today during a ceremony at FAO Headquarters, host of the GFAR Secretariat, our colleague, Ms Gianna de Cesare Metcalfe, was honored by being awarded a medal of appreciation for 25 years of continuous service to FAO. After handing out the engraved medals, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva expressed thanks to the recipients for their hard work and commitment to the mission of FAO to eradicate hunger, and called on all staff to continue to proudly tackle new challenges in the years to come. 

In a reflection written for FAO, Ms de Cesare Metcalfe thanked the Organization and her colleagues for the opportunities for personal growth, travel, and learning during her years of service: 

"I have learned so much from the beautiful people, scents and colours, traditions of remote civilisations! My heart has learned to be more tolerant and respectful towards people who endure hardship and adversities of life each day, with far less than what we have. "

Ms de Cesare Metcalfe has been working in the GFAR Secretariat for 14 years, providing valued support in realizing GFAR's mission to strengthen and transform agri-food research and innovation systems. 

Thank you and Congratualations, Gianna!