Who governs the Rome food agencies?

Four international organizations based in Rome are concerned with food and nutrition worldwide: FAO, WFC, WFP and IFAD. This article analyses their power structure, considering first the constitution and history of each organization, as background to the central question: Who governs? The effectiveness of each organization is also weighed, and the options for the power structure towards the close of the century are examined. The authors conclude that the four-organization structure has brought some positive results, and that it is optimal for balancing the interests of competing factions. It provides the various political blocs (OECD, OPEC, Third World, etc) with multiple channels to pursue their varied interests.