Feeding the Planet: a Photo Exhibition on the Hidden Work of Women Farmers by Sharon Ketchum

Sharon Ketchum and President Franco Pavoncello

On Wednesday, March 4 JCU hosted Sharon Ketchum’s photography exhibition “Feeding the Planet: The Hidden Work of Women Farmers.” Ketchum is the Public Affairs Officer for the United States Mission to the United Nation Agencies in Rome.The event was opened with a welcome speech by David Lane, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Agencies in Rome.

The exhibition investigated the crucial role of women in agriculture and farming around the world, particularly in Africa. Ketchum’s photos highlight the hidden fact that women make up a large and vital percentage of agricultural farmers. All of the photos in the exhibit were taken by Ketchum throughout her journey in the Foreign Service. She then edited them to show the female farmers in color and the rest of the photo in black and white. This effect further emphasized the importance of women in the global agriculture industry.

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