Greetings from FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy! We are pleased to have you join our Ug99 Task Force. As a plant pathologist, you will play an important role on our task force, working to help us understand Ug99 and find possible solutions. Ug99 is a wheat rust, which is a very serious threat to grain agriculture and the world’s food supply.
Ug99, which stands for “Uganda 1999,” was named for the place and year this variety of wheat rust was first encountered. Though we first saw this rust in Uganda, it has spread quickly. If it strikes India, which is a major source of the world’s wheat crop, there could be a huge drop in the world’s food supply.
Ug99 has appeared on wheat, in spite of the resistance genes that have been protecting wheat crops against other rust strains. The fact that is has overcome the standard defenses makes it a very serious threat.
Our Mission
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is committed to finding a solution to the Ug99 problem. We need a creative solution that will put off the devestation of Ug99 as long as possible. We have the funding to finance one project focused on UG-99 research. I’ve already requested proposals from leading scientists across the world and have narrowed the selection to three strong proposals
Your Job
At FAO, we have a rigorous selection process we use when evaluating proposals for funding. Following our process will ensure that each proposal is given equal consideration and is evaluated objectively. Working together with a small group of colleagues you will:
- Stage 1: Conduct background research and create an outline
- Stage 2: Create a detailed work plan
- Stage 3: Gather information and analyze proposals
- Stage 4: Write a report recommending which proposal to fund
- Stage 5: Present highlights from the written report
I’ll give you more details as we reach each stage of the project. In the meantime, I wanted you to have a sense of what we will do before we make a decision. I’m off to a meeting and Ug99 is on the agenda, so I will give you more details on your first task and also share anything new I learn.
I look forward to working with you!
Ciao,
Armando
A. Russo
Director
FAO Ug99 Task Force
