Staff news: Jack Bobo named IICA Chair in Global Food Security and Agricultural Innovation

By Emma Horio | April 3, 2025

Jack Bobo, the executive director of the UCLA Rothman Family Institute for Food Studies, was awarded the title of “IICA Chair in Global Food Security and Agricultural Innovation” by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, or IICA, headquartered in San Jose, Costa Rica. The IICA presented the honor in recognition of Bobo’s expertise in sustainable food systems and his dedication to transforming global food systems for the better.

Prior to joining UCLA, Bobo directed the Food Systems Institute at the University of Nottingham and served as the senior advisor for global food policy at the U.S. Department of State for more than 13 years. As a science communicator, Bobo frequently lends his expertise to explaining how policy decisions affect the public, such as this interview with CGTN America in which he discusses the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent budget cuts.

IICA works to improve agricultural development and rural well-being in Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada, as well as to assist the 34 countries involved in achieving their sustainable development goals.

Read the full release here.