The 40th session of the Committee on World Food Security opens on 7 October. More than 30 ministers will attend the session and there were more than 1,000 registrations to the Plenary.

The entire week will be webcast at http://www.fao.org/webcast

Highlights include:

1) The session will be opened tomorrow at 09:30 AM with the statements of the heads of the Rome UN agencies and from the HLPE Steering Committee Chair, prof Swaminathan. It will be his last statement in CFS in the function of HLPE StC Chair as the Steering Committee will change after the Plenary (the new membership is online on the FAO website).

2 & 3) Two policy discussions, informed by the relevant HLPE reports:

• Biofuels and Food Security (HLPE Presentation by John Wilkinson Monday 7 October 15:30pm Rome time)
• Investing in Smallholder agriculture for food security and nutrition (HLPE presentation by Pierre-Marie Bosc Tuesday 8 October 09:30 AM Rome time)

HLPE reports are available on the HLPE website.

All Session documents are available at the CFS 40 webpage, which includes links to the Draft Timetable of the session.