18 May 2012: At the 31st Regional Conference for the Near East of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) member countries agreed to establish plans to halve food waste over the next 10 years to improve regional food security.

The conference also supported a proposal to set up a regional Trust Fund for agricultural development and food security. The conference also promoted the sustainable use and better management of natural resources, particularly water, as well as adaptation and mitigation to climate change. It requested the FAO to develop a regional food security strategy and action plan.

Also at the conference, agreements were signed between the FAO and Saudi Arabia, Libya and Iran. The weeklong session took place from 14-18 May 2012 in Rome, Italy. [FAO Press Release]