ROME – February 12, 2010 - On the one month anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Haitian Agriculture Minister Joanas Gue will convene a high level meeting to discuss the country’s medium and long-term agricultural development, food security and nutrition planning process. This event represents the global kickoff of the agriculture pillar for the Haiti Redevelopment Plan and is part of the broad international mobilization to support the reconstruction of Haiti.

Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), and Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will join Minister Gue in discussing the need for global, regional and national leadership and coordination by the UN organizations. Bilateral donors including the United States, represented by Cheryl Mills, Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Brazil, represented by Minister Milton Rondo, Coordinator-General of International Actions in the Fight Against Hunger from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations, and others will participate in this discussion addressing the role of donor participation in the planning and implementation process.

Other invited speakers include representatives from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the UN High-Level Task Force for the Global Food Crisis, the UN Haiti Special Envoy and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only. Invitations have been extended to members of the Global Partnership for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Security including the Haitian and global private sector leaders as well as foundations and non-governmental organizations interested in supporting Haiti.

The event will be held on Friday, February 12, 2010 from 2pm-5pm at WFP headquarters in Rome, Italy.

This event will be open to media, who will be able to observe during the proceedings and interview speakers at the end. To facilitate accreditation and request interviews in advance, members of the media should register by no later than 12pm (noon) on Thursday, February 11 by sending their name, contact information, national ID/passport details, and the organization they represent to: Barbara.bellogini@wfp.org/ Fax: +39-651-32840.

On the day of the event, journalists should arrive at the main entrance to WFP from 1pm onwards, with final access time at 1:30pm for journalists, TV crews, and still photographers interested in attending the event. For those wishing to attend the press availability at the close of the event only, please arrive at WFP no later than 4:30pm.

WFP plans to carry the event live on its website at www.wfp.org

World Food Programme Headquarters
Via Cesare Giulio Viola 68/70
Parco de’Medici
00148 – Rome- Italy

Parking space will be limited. It is advisable to use alternative means of transportation.

he International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) works with poor rural people to enable them to grow and sell more food, increase their incomes and determine the direction of their own lives. Since 1978, IFAD has invested over US$11 billion in grants and low-interest loans to developing countries, empowering some 350 million people to break out of poverty. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized UN agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agricultural hub. It is a unique partnership of 165 members from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), other developing countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

IFAD provides grant of US$5.66 million for smallholder farmers in Haiti