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Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro embrace in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country.
What Trump's Attack on Venezuela Means for the Region and the World The humanitarian and food security impacts of the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro are likely to be severe in the short term and highly uncertain over the medium term.
About the Experts
Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture
Council expert Catherine Bertini
Catherine Bertini served as executive director of the UN World Food Program, the world’s largest international humanitarian agency, from 1992 to 2002 prior to joining the Council. She was named the World Food Prize laureate in 2003 for her groundbreaking leadership there.
Council expert Catherine Bertini
Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture
Council expert Ertharin Cousin
Prior to joining the Council, Ertharin Cousin served as executive director of the UN World Food Programme where she led the world’s largest humanitarian organization from 2012 to 2017. She also previously served as US ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. Cousin is founder and CEO of Food Systems for the Future.
Council expert Ertharin Cousin

For more info, contact:

Valerie McMakin

Chief of Staff to the CEO & COO
Valerie McMakin headshot

Tria Raimundo

Vice President, Programming & Strategic Content
Council staff Tria Raimundo

Past Events

Global Food Security Working Dinner

PAST EVENT

A working dinner to discuss the Council's food and agriculture programming.

A combine harvester working in a coffee plantation.
wsfurlan / iStock

How Tariffs and Trade Policy Affect the Global Food System

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Darci Vetter, Devry Boughner Vorwerk, and Ertharin Cousin analyze how new tariffs and trade policies could impact food security in the long term.

Ertharin Cousin, Devry Boughner Vorwerk, and Darci Vetter on stage at the Council
Ana Miyares Photography

Commentary

What the Famine Declaration Means for Gaza

In the News
WBEZ
Ertharin Cousin

"It is not just about defining the level of malnutrition or the level of access to food, but is a recognition that . . . measurable numbers of the population have begun to die," Ertharin Cousin says.

alestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Gaza City
Jehad Alshrafi / AP
Food and Agriculture

Famine in Gaza is a Preventable Catastrophe. A Humanitarian Ceasefire is the First Step.

Analysis
by Ertharin Cousin

Distinguished Fellow and former Executive Director of the World Food Programme Ertharin Cousin on summoning the political courage to intervene in Gaza.

Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, July 14, 2025.
Jehad Alshrafi / AP
Food and Agriculture

Research

Bridging the Gap: Accelerating Technology Adoption for Sustainable Food Production

RESEARCH
Report

Emerging AgTech innovations have the potential to radically improve the sustainability, profitability, and accessibility of US-produced food.

Farmer Chang Chen-kai prunes common salad lettuce growing under banks of LED lights at the ARWIN plant factory in Miaoli, northern Taiwan.
AP Photos
Food and Agriculture

Encouraging Farmer Adoption of Regenerative Agriculture Practices in the United States

RESEARCH
Report by Coauthors

Regenerative agriculture can help our food and agricultural systems become more resilient.

A woman and man crouch down in a field of cover crops and examine the plants.
Edwin Remsberg & USDA-SARE
Food and Agriculture

Experts

Doug Bereuter 

Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture
Council expert Doug Bereuter

Catherine Bertini 

Distinguished Fellow, Global Food and Agriculture
Council expert Catherine Bertini