High-level conference

3-5 June 2008
FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy

The High-Level Conference on World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy witnessed the participation of one hundred eighty-one member countries. Forty-two Heads of State and Government attended the event, alongside one hundred high-level Ministers and sixty non-governmental and civil society organizations.

Forums and roundtables were held during the three days of events. The Roundtables addresses 1) High food prices: causes, consequences and solutions, 2) Climate change and food security, 3)Transboundary pests and diseases, and 4) Bioenergy and food security. Additionally, four fora ran parallel to Conference events (Private sector forum, Civil society and non-governmental organizations forum, Small Island Developing States forum and African livelihood responses to climate change and bioenergy forum), raising related issues and voicing concerns.

In preparation for the Conference, eight Expert meetings were held between January and April 2008. The resulting technical background document and options for decision makers helped to inform debate. Additionally, stakeholder consultations for civil society and the private sector were organized to bring in a broader range of views and experiences and to identify areas for collaboration. The resulting reports were available to Conference participants.

The Conference concluded with the adoption by acclamation of a declaration calling on the international community to increase assistance for developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and those that are most negatively affected by high food prices.

“There is an urgent need to help developing countries and countries in transition expand agriculture and food production, and to increase investment in agriculture, agribusiness and rural development, from both public and private sources,” according to the declaration and noted that "It is essential to address the fundamental question of how to increase the resilience of present food production systems to challenges posed by climate change."

This web site contains all information related to the Conference, including archived webcasts, photo galleries of the events, technical background documents, conference documents, fact sheets, and the text and audio speeches delivered by Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegations.

HLC-Secretary:
Office of the Assistant Director-General
Natural Resources Management and Environment Department
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome, Italy