How can countries with great agricultural potential help prevent the next global food crisis?
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations are staging the largest ever gathering of its kind at the “Private Sector for Food Security Conference” in Istanbul on 13 September 2012. Full agenda here
Top managers from over 100 agricultural companies, ministers of agriculture and leaders of international organisations will discuss ways to help private enterprises - from the southern Mediterranean to the east of Russia - on their way to doubling food production.
The conference, hosted by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Turkey, Mehmet Mehdi Eker, will be opened by the EBRD President, Sir Suma Chakrabarti, and FAO Director General, Jose Graziano da Silva, who will give a joint press conference at 11:15am (see contacts below for accreditation).
The event was partly funded through the southern and eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) Multi-Donor Account (MDA) which provides grants for EBRD technical cooperation projects across all sectors of operations in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. The SEMED MDA is funded by Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
This is the first time the issue of private initiative in agriculture will be discussed by so many high-level producers and policymakers. Food is produced by private companies, small farmers, farmers’ cooperatives as well as large multinationals. However, food security has so far been an issue mainly discussed among governments with limited involvement from the private sector.
The conference will focus on selected eastern European countries, with huge potential to increase food production, and the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries, where demand is growing but food is still wasted through inadequate logistics and infrastructure.
The meeting is expected to result in a number of proposals aimed at promoting private investment throughout the food chain in order to produce more food to meet future demand.
The conference will be held at Sait Halim Pasha Mansion, Köybaşı Caddesi No: 83 Yeniköy – İstanbul.
FAO media contact for registration:
Genevieve Joy
Tel: +39 06 5705 5553; Mob. +39 334 9452132
For EBRD interviews please contact:
Svitlana Pyrkalo
Tel: +44 207 338 6002; Mob. +44 780 251 0751
