alumni close-up Moving from her family farm
in northern Indiana to a small apartment just a short walk from the Colosseum in Rome would be a major undertaking for Beth Bechdol (MS ’96, agricultural economics) in normal times. In the global COVID-19 pandemic, the transition became surreal. Just four days into her new role as deputy director-general at the
BECHDOL TAKES HER TALENTS FROM
IN TO THE UN BY MEGAN KUHN
34
ENVISION • SPRING 2021
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), most of the 3,000-plus employees at the organization’s headquarters, including Bechdol, were ordered to work remotely while all of Italy locked down to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. “It’s a really unique time to be a part of a global, multilateral organization, and the work FAO does is needed now more than ever,” Bechdol says. She most recently led AgriNovus Indiana, an initiative to promote and accelerate the growth of Indiana’s agbioscience sector. The FAO leads the UN’s efforts to end global hunger and achieve food security for all. As part of her new role, Bechdol oversees FAO’s partnership and outreach work, resource mobilization efforts, and technical plant production and protection programs. Before taking the role, Bechdol considered whether it was the right place for her by learning more about what drives the organization. “I had a lot to learn about FAO when I was approached about the role,” Bechdol says. “What I discovered was that every other position and professional chapter was leading to this global platform. FAO works to eliminate hunger, improve nutrition and protect the planet. This was my opportunity to contribute on a different scale.” The desire to make an impact has motivated Bechdol to make bold decisions throughout her career; to start, she was the only member of her immediate family who didn’t earn her undergraduate degree from Purdue
