2 April 2014, Bucharest-- The impact of climate change on food production figured prominently in the words of Director-General José Graziano da Silva, as he addressed the opening of the UN FAO’s Regional Conference for Europe today. FAO’s emphasis on sustainable family farming was another key theme of Graziano da Silva’s statement, as he addressed delegations to the biennial conference that governs FAO’s activities in the Europe and Central Asia region. He announced a new regional initiative that aims to reduce rural poverty by supporting family farmers and smallholders, by focusing on sustainable production technologies, land tenure issues, access to markets, and income diversification for people in rural areas. FAO will also advise national governments on policies and strategies in favour of family farming and small-scale production.