Since 1977, Graziano da Silva has devoted his efforts to issues related to rural development and fighting hunger while working in the academia, at the political level and with organized labour.

The "Zero Hunger" Program was not only President Lula da Silva's overriding priority, but also represents a significant innovation in the formulation of public policies to fight extreme poverty.

Equally important has been the openness towards civil society through the engagement of a multiplicity of political, social, and professional and labour entities, in FAO activities.

As a professor, Dr. Graziano da Silva has been recognized for his valuable contribution to the training and preparation of a new generation of young Latin American professionals dedicated to rural development and food security.

In 2001, Graziano coordinated the formulation of the Fome Zero program, one of the main points of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva campaign for Brazil's presidency.

Other candidates on the first ballot were Franz Fischler (Austria), Indroyono Soesilo (Indonesia), Mohammad Saeid Noori Naeini (Iran), and Latif Rashid (Iraq).

[6] Oxfam welcomed Graziano's victory, saying he had the expertise and commitment to "transform our broken food system and make the shift toward a new agricultural future".

[7] The United States also welcomed Graziano's election, stressing the need for continued reform and a push for sustainable agricultural development, greater access to nutritional crops and more opportunities for women and small-scale farmers.

[9][10] In his work for FAO, Graziano da Silva has sought to strengthen family farming and rural development as a path to enhanced food security.

Also important has been his key role in fostering the "Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative", which has made the region the first one in the world to commit itself to eradicating hunger by 2025.

Graziano da Silva's controversies include recognizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for "reducing hunger" in 2013 and 2015 while Venezuela was actually suffering acute food shortages[11][12][13] and attempting to hire former First Lady of Peru, Nadine Heredia, while under national indictment for corruption charges.