Hot Springs, Virginia, USA, 1943 - The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture was held from 18 May to 3 June in Hot Springs, Virgina (USA), with the participation of 44 governments. Convened by US President Roosevelt, the Conference decided on the establishment of a permanent organization in the field of food and agriculture, and set up an Interim Commission on Food and Agriculture, chaired by Lester Pearson, then Canadian Ambassador to the United States, which prepared the Consitution of FAO and proposed the merging of the International Institute of Agriculture (IIA) with FAO. The signing of the Constitution took place at the opening of the first FAO Conference in Quebec on 16 october 1945.