FAO warns of global hunger crisis

The number of hungry people in the world may cross one billion in
2009 due to the shocks of the global economic crisis combined with
high food prices in a few countries, the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) said. "The number of hungry people is expected to
grow overall by about 11 per cent this year," the U.N. agency
projected drawing on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The silent hunger crisis affecting one-sixth of all of humanity posed
a serious risk for world peace and security, it said.
Broad consensus
"We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid
eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions,"
said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf on its website. "Poor
countries must be given the development, economic and policy tools
required to boost their agricultural production and productivity.
Investment in agriculture must be increased because for the majority
of poor countries a healthy agricultural sector is essential to
overcome poverty...," he stressed. Pointing out that the economic
crisis also came close on the heels of the food and fuel crisis of
2006-08, it said that it should be noted that while the purchasing
power of poor consumers declined, international food commodity prices
were still 24 per cent higher than in 2006 and 33 per cent above those
of 2005.

The Hindu, June 22