Addeke Hendrik Boerma (3 April 1912 8 May 1992) was a Dutch civil servant who served as the first executive director of the

World Food Programme The World Food Programme (WFP) is an international organization within the United Nations that provides food assistance worldwide. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and the leading provider of school meals. Founded in 1961 ...

from 1962 to 1967 and as the director general of the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

from 1967 until December 1975.

Early life and education

Boerma was born in Annerveenschekanaal on 3 April 1912 in a farming family. He went to school in Veendam. From 1929 to 1934, Boerma studied horticulture and agricultural economics at the

Wageningen University and Research Wageningen University & Research (also known as WUR) is a public university, public research university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally i ...

Career

After university, Boerma became a government commissioner for arable farming and

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...

and, in 1938, went to work for the National Agency for Wartime Food Supply on preparations for food supply in the Netherlands in wartime. In October 1944, he went to the already liberated south of the Netherlands to prepare the food supply and the sending of relief supplies. For his services during and after the war, Boerma was made a Knight in the

Order of the Netherlands Lion The Order of the Netherlands Lion, also known as the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands (, ) is a Dutch honours system, Dutch order of chivalry founded by William I of the Netherlands on 29 September 1815. The Order of the Netherlands Lion wa ...

and a Commander in the Order of Leopold.

World Food Program

Beginning in 1947, Boerma held various positions at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. He also became the first executive director of the United Nations World Food Program in 1962. In 1967, he was elected director general of the FAO. He initiated a reorganization of the NGO and focused on poverty issues. He retired from civil service on 1 January 1976. Boerma spent his final years in Austria before his death in 1992.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boerma, Addeke Hendrik 1912 births 1992 deaths 20th-century Dutch politicians Executive Directors of the World Food Programme Food and Agriculture Organization officials United Nations officials People from Aa en Hunze Wageningen University and Research alumni