Key meeting on food security to relocate from Rome to Rimini, Italy - FAO

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today announced that it will switch the venue for its long-planned summit on food security from the agency's headquarters in Rome to the Italian coastal town of Rimini.

The "World Food Summit: five years later" was originally scheduled to convene from 5 to 9 November in Rome as part of the agency's regular governing conference, according to a statement released by FAO. But "in view of exceptional circumstances," the Italian Government proposed that the Summit be moved out of Rome.

After considering several alternate locations, the Government suggested that the meeting be held in Rimini. This proposal was accepted by a majority of the 48 countries on the FAO Council.

FAO said it would provide additional information on arrangements for the governing conference and the Summit as soon as possible.

The FAO Council called for the World Food Summit when it became clear that the original 1996 Summit's goal of cutting the number of hungry in half by the year 2015 would not be met without renewed effort.