[24/November/2009]

SANA'A, Nov. 24 (Saba)- Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Mansour al-Houshabi returned home on Tuesday after his participation in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s 36th conference held in the Italian capital Rome during 18-23 November.

Speaking to Saba, al-Hawshabi said that the participants in the conference had discussed several issues related to climate changes and the impact of the international financial and food crisis on food production and ways to face the challenges of food lack.

In the conference, the FAO approved the budget of 2010-2011 in which it increased FAO's regular budget for the 2010-2011 biennium by 7.6 percent to $1.5 million as well as discuss the possibilities of strength food security in order to eliminate world hunger.

The Conference of FAO’s 192 Members, which meets every two years, agreed to strengthen the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) so it can become the foremost inclusive international platform for discussion, coordination and policy convergence in order to eliminate world hunger.

The conference also elected France’s Luc Guyau as Independent Chair of FAO’s 49-nation executive Council. M. Guyau is a former trade unionist and Chair of the Chambers of French Agriculture.

MD/YA
Saba