Journalists and news organizations are invited to attend an FAO press conference at the FCCT on Thursday 15 September 2011 from 11:00 to 12:30 hours followed by lunch, as follows:

1. Gender in agriculture (11:00 to 12:00 hours)
The State of Food and Agriculture 2010-11 (SOFA) addresses the theme "Women in agriculture: Closing the gender gap for development". The report signals a new way of thinking about women in agriculture. It includes a hard-nosed economic analysis of the gaps women face in access to resources, training and opportunities in agriculture and rural enterprises, and provides the first empirical estimates of the costs this "gender gap" imposes on the agriculture sector in terms of lost productivity, food insecurity and forgone growth. The report makes a strong business case for promoting gender equality in agriculture.

Hiroyuki Konuma, assistant director-general and FAO regional representative for Asia and the Pacific, will lead the press briefing together with Rome-based Terri Raney, senior economist and SOFA editor, agriculture and development economics division, and with other FAO technical and policy officers in attendance.

2. DPR Korea (12:00 to 12:30 hours)
In the last 10 years, humanitarian support to DPR Korea has decreased tenfold, and the country is now one of the world’s most chronic underfunded humanitarian emergencies. Over 6 million people are in urgent need of assistance. Last March’s FAO/WFP Rapid Food Security Assessment recommended scaling up food assistance and targeting those in most need.

Hiroyuki Konuma will provide a first-hand account of the outcome of his visit to DPR Korea.

Hiroyuki Konuma’s visit to DPR Korea from 11 to 14 September 2011 at the invitation of the DPR Korea Government has the special aim to launch three new FAO projects funded by UNDP in the area of promotion of crop seed production, agricultural statistics and post-harvest loss prevention with a total budget of US$5 million.  He will also discuss various food security matters with the DPR Korea senior government officials and visit some field project sites.

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Journalists and invited guests are also invited to lunch (12:30 to 14:00 hours) allowing for one-on-one interviews with FAO staff.