September 17, 2010

South Korea to host 30th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

South Korea will host the 30th regional conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) for Asia and the Pacific, bringing together about 300 officials from 43 Asia-Pacific FAO member nations and international bodies.

The conference will be held in Gyeongju, 370 kilometres southeast of Seoul, from September 27-October 1, Seoul's agriculture ministry said.

"The participating nations will share their experiences with the recent global financial and food crises and discuss key global agendas such as the climate change and food security," the ministry said in a press release.

"In addition, unlike previous regional conferences, the upcoming conference will focus more on regional issues to bring out more serious discussions and outcomes," the ministry said.

"We are the only country in the world to have become a donor nation from a recipient nation of the FAO," said Agriculture Minister Yoo Jeong-bok. "The upcoming conference will be an opportunity to show to the world how our country, which used to suffer from chronic food shortages, was able to overcome difficulties with help from the international community."