On the occasion of the World Food Week, the Run for Food race is organized by Gruppo Sportivo Bancari Romani in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), Bioversity International and FAO Staff Coop with the support of the Roma Capitale and the sponsorship of Youth and United Nations Global Alliance (YUNGA) and United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU), it will be held on Sunday 16 October 2011 at 10.00 am. The race consists of a 5 km fun run (or walk) as well as a 10 km competitive race through the historical centre of Rome, starting at Viale delle Terme di Caracalla and ending at the Stadium, Terme di Caracalla, in front of the FAO Headquarters.

The funds raised through the race will be donated to the FAO TeleFood projects in the Horn of Africa. Carl Lewis visited in June 2011 the project ‘Fruit Trees for Haiti’ financed with funds raised in the 5th Run for Food – a video of this project will be shown at the press conference.

Media advisory: IFAD/11/2011

The 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 about US$13.2 billion in grants and low-interest loans to developing countries through projects empowering about 400 million people to break out of poverty, thereby helping to create vibrant rural communities. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized UN agency based in Rome – the United Nation’s food and agricultural hub. It is a unique partnership of 167 members from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), other developing countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).