Free event brings around 300 exhibitors from more than 140 countries to Rome, with the UN agency's museum temporarily moving out of its base.The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) opens the second edition of its global exhibition, From Seeds to Foods, at the Circus Maximus on Thursday. The five-day showcase, which runs from 8-12 October, is free to the public.   What the event is aboutHeld under the theme "Fostering Innovation for Food Security and Nutrition", the event follows food from the seed to the plate. It aims to show how innovation, knowledge and collaboration can help transform agrifood systems, the networks that produce, process, distribute and deliver food. Around 300 exhibitors from more than 140 countries will present 400 agricultural products and more than 40 innovations. The programme also includes live cooking shows by 30 chefs, talks, workshops and cultural performances.At the centre is the main pavilion, which covers five areas: Crops, Animals, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Forests, and Land & Water. Interactive displays, live demonstrations and practical examples show how innovation is changing food production and making agrifood systems more efficient and resilient. The site also has regional pavilions, a food area, a main stage and activities for children. FAO museum at Circus MaximusDuring the exhibition, the FAO Food and Agriculture Museum and Network (MuNe) will temporarily leave its nearby home at FAO headquarters and set up at the Circus Maximus.MuNe describes itself as a journey through art, nature and culture exploring the past, present and future of food and agriculture. Its collection includes artworks, rare books, farming tools and textiles, each telling a story about food, agriculture and the people behind them. The museum also has a digital "network" section, and incorporates the historic David Lubin Memorial Library.The museum, which turns one on World Food Day on 16 October, has previously taken its displays to events in Venice, Rimini and around Rome. At its permanent home on Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, it is open Monday to Friday, from 09.00 to 17.00. Opening ceremonyThe opening ceremony on Thursday afternoon will see FAO director-general Qu Dongyu give the keynote address. Italy's agriculture minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, and Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri are due to take part, along with ministers from Jordan and Malawi. Bolivian president Jose Gabriel Espinoza is set to send a video message, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is scheduled for a special address, though both were still to be confirmed at the time of writing. Rosângela Lula da Silva, Brazil's First Lady and an FAO Special Goodwill Champion Against Hunger, will also send a video message.FAO deputy directors-General Beth Bechdol and Maurizio Martina will co-moderate. The ceremony will include a performance by the Carabinieri band and a cooking show by Chef Fatmata Binta, FAO's Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa. A Bolivian cultural performance will precede the official launch. VisitingThe exhibition is open from 10.00 t0 19.00 from 8 to 11 October, and from 10.00 to 13.00 on 12 October. The Circus Maximus is next to the FAO headquarters and is served by the Circo Massimo/FAO station on Metro Line B.