Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy.

Its Latin Motto, fiat panis, translates into English as "let there be bread"

FAO was established on 16 October 1945, in Quebec City,quebec,Canada

The First Session of the FAO Conference was held in the Chateau Frontenac at Quebec, Canada, from 16 October to 1 November 1945


Membership
FAO has 191 Member Nations, two associate members(Faroe Islands,an island group and archipelago under the sovereignity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Tokelau,a Terrotory of New Zealand) and one member organization, the European Union.  


Structure
Representatives of members meet at the biennial FAO Conference to review global governance policy issues and international frameworks, as well as to evaluate work carried out and to approve the budget for the next biennium.
The Conference also elects a Director-General to a four year term of office, renewable once. The current Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, assumed his functions on 1 January 2012 for a term which expires on 31 July 2015



Head Quarters
In 1951, its headquarters were moved from Washington DC,USA to Rome,Italy