Introduction

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suffered, along with other UN agencies, from the inclination of its developing country members to bring up ‘political’ resolutions that were aside from its programme of work. A World Food Congress was held in Washington in June 1963. Periodic meetings of government representatives with FAO specialists and consultants were held by its commodities division to discuss prices and prospects for major products in international trade. An intrinsic feature of FAO is that it is directly responsible to its member countries. In consequence it has always been wary of offending them. FAO has always been wary of publicizing a need for assistance without a government’s prior agreement. At the Fourth World Food Conference held in Rome in 1974, the process of setting up new organizations to take over elements of FAO’s work gained new momentum.