Different units of F.A.O. are concerned with mycotoxins in the following ways: The Commodities and Trade Division with the economic aspects of international trade and regulations. The Plant Production and Protection Division and the Engineering group of the Agricultural Services Division with the effects of fungi and their toxins on seed quality, with preventing myco toxin contamination in the field, and with the relationship of harvesting, drying and storage conditions, insect damage and other causes to invasion by moulds and formation of mycotoxins. The Food Industries group of the Agricultural Services Division with assuring acceptability of agricultural produce for processing, with decontamination possibilities and with prevention of contamination in processing and distribution/marketing. The Animal Production and Health Division with animal feed in terms of livestock growth and production, as well as in terms of milk and meat quality. Finally, the Food Policy and Nutrition Division with all aspects that affect man's wellbeing in connection with food, and under this, the Joint F.A.O./W.H.O. Food Standards Programme (Codex Alimentarius Commission) to include provisions for contaminants in food standards that could be internationally accepted, to protect consumers against health risks and fraud and to facilitate international trade. The Joint F.A.O./W.H.O. Expert Committee on Food Additives deals with intake of contaminants and sets provisional tolerable weekly intake levels. A Joint F.A.O./W.H.O. Internationally Coordinated Food Contamination Monitoring Programme is being developed with support of U.N.E.P.; aflatoxins were among the priority contaminants recommended for monitoring at a preparatory expert consultation held in 1974. U.N.E.P. also sponsors several other projects with F.A.O. which are implemented by the Food Policy and Nutrition Division; these aim to improve the chances of control of environmental contaminants (including mycotoxins), in food and feed. An international and inter-governmental conference on mycotoxins, planned for the second half of 1977, will seek to stimulate governments' support for necessary research, control and extension action. Conference documents in preparation will inter alia : a. Report on the status of mycotoxins contamination, its effects and possibilities for control in developping and developed countries; b. Propose guidelines for establishing national surveillance programmes and c. Recommend practices for preventing mycotoxins contamination of food and agricultural products. The projects also include provision for training in mycotoxins analysis for food control, and in the more general aspects of mycotoxins problems with a view to increasing the competence available in this field to institutes and government agencies in developing countries. Liaison is maintained especially with W.H.O. in relation to the "Environmental Health Criteria Document Programme" under which a draft on aflatoxins has been prepared. Other organizations with whom contact is maintained are the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the O.E.C.D.'s working group on research area No. 4, "Protection of Harvested Products Against Contamination by Mycotoxins". F.A.O.'s programme in the field of mycotoxins is likely to see further growth in the years ahead as we seek to assist developing countries to keep their plant and animal wealth, their food supplies, and their "environment" in good shape.