The FAO will hold the World Summit on Food Security in Rome from November 16-18, 2009. The summit is being convened by FAO Director-General Jacque Diouf to negotiate a declaration for adoption by the World Summit of Heads of State and Government on Food Security.

To initiate the negotiation process, Dr Diouf has sent a document to Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Development Cooperation and Agriculture of members of FAO and the United Nations. The text, entitled "Secretariat contribution to defining the objectives and possible decisions of the World Summit on Food Security", calls for the complete eradication of hunger from the face of the Earth by 2025 and for secure, sufficient, safe and nutritious food supplies for a growing world population that is projected to reach 9.2 billion in 2050. The document sent to FAO's member countries builds on the recent G8 statement on food security, adopted in L'Aquila, Italy, a few weeks ago. More information on the summit is available here.

Prior to the summit, the FAO has invited a select number of senior experts in relevant disciplines from around the world for a two-day forum in October titled, “How to Feed the World: 2050”. Experts will discuss vital issues and analyze policy options that will be considered at the World Summit. Six moderated panel sessions focusing on aspects of the problem, with opportunity for audience participation, are planned, with a final panel of Nobel Laureates to draw the strands together. Further details and background documents are available on the forum’s official website.