The 33rd session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN's (FAO) Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific will focus on the opportunities, challenges and priority work areas related to several goals: improve food security and nutrition; increase agricultural productivity; raise the standard of living in rural populations; and contribute to sustainable economic growth. From 7-9 March, discussions will focus on regional and global policy and regulatory issues. From 10-11 March, a ministerial segment will convene, focusing on measures to accelerate progress in alleviating hunger and improving nutrition in Asia-Pacific countries. A roundtable on the future of youth in agriculture will also be held on 11 March. Discussions at the 33rd session will focus in particular on the state of agriculture across the region, including: future prospects and emerging issues in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); revitalizing the rural economy through enhanced linkages between small-scale agricultural production and value chains; promoting national nutrition policies and investments, and integrating nutrition objectives into food and agriculture policy, programme design and implementation; and ‘blue growth.' FAO regional conferences are an official forum where ministers of agriculture and other government officials work toward regional coherence on global policies and political issues. The regional conferences are held in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Near East and North Africa, and are convened on a biennial basis.  

dates: 7-11 March 2016  
venue: Putrajaya International Convention Centre  
location: Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia  
contact: Nasrul Haqiim bin Mohd Nasir  
phone: (+60) 3 8870 1214  
fax: (+60) 3 8888 6909  
e-mail: nasrul@moa.gov.my  
www: http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/aprc33/en/
 http://www.fao.org/3/a-mp255e.pdf