MEDIA ADVISORY

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of Communications News Room 460-A

Washington, DC 20250-1300

Internet: News @usda.gov Phone: 202-720-4623

World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov

Release No. 4079.08

KANSAS, CITY, Mo., March 19, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are hosting the annual International Food Aid Conference, "Future Pathways to Food Aid," at the Kansas City Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo., April 14-16, 2008.

Special guest speakers include Dr. Mark Keenum, undersecretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA; Henrietta Fore, administrator, USAID; Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez, U.S. Ambassador to U.N. Agencies in Rome; Josette Sheeran, executive director, U.N. World Food Programme; Michel Gabaudan, regional representative for U.S. and Caribbean U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees; Joseph Glauber, USDA chief economist; Erastus Mwencha, secretary general of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa; Dean Hirsch, president and CEO, World Vision International; Rajiv Shah, agriculture development director, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Michael Usnick, director, U.S. Relations, U.N. World Food Programme; and Mary Wilson, Mine Action spokesperson, Humpty Dumpty Institute.

This International Food Aid Conference provides a forum to discuss policy and operational issues related to the delivery of food aid, as well as to improve communication and cooperation among government, private voluntary and non-government organizations, agricultural and transportation industry representatives involved in food aid delivery. The conference also will give food aid representatives an opportunity to discuss the Farm Bill, WTO negotiations, commodity and transportation issues, supply and demand trends, emergency and development aid, nutrition and supply chain management.

WHAT: USDA and USAID Annual Food Aid Conference

WHO: Private voluntary and non-governmental organizations, trade associations, grain and processed commodity vendors, steamship and domestic transportation lines, U.S. ports, government officials, and others.

WHERE: The Westin Crown Center Exhibit Hall

1 East Pershing Road

Kansas City, MO 64108

WHEN: April 14-16, 2008

People with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in this conference should contact Debbie Crow at (816) 926-6301, or by email at Deborah.Crow@kcc.usda.gov. For more information about the conference, visit FSA's Web site at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/2008_ifac.pdf

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