A high level conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy will be held in Rome next week, from the 3-5 June. This conference will be hosted by the UN agency FAO, and will be addressing the recent issues of food prices and food shortages. Delegations will also be asked to focus their attention on other issues such as:
* the Identification of the new challenges facing world food security, supply and demand side, policies and market structure.
* a better understanding of the nexus between food security, climate change and bioenergy.
* the Identification of a process for institutional action for the integration of food security safeguards into international climate-related and sustainable bioenergy agreements.
* discussion and adoption of required policies, strategies and programmes for ensuring world food security, in particular measures to address soaring food prices.
* a declaration on “World Food Security and required actions”.
The conference organisers have developed some very interesting information factsheets (2 pagers) on climate change, biofuels and food security - all topics that will be discussed during the 3 day conference. These can be viewed here.

To view the provisional agenda and the documents for the conference - visit the homepage. If you’re keen to know the daily outcomes from the conference - daily updates are available through the IISD website.