FAO World Food Summit in the News

Nov 18th, 2009 10:01 AM UTC
By Pooja Gupta

This week we’re tracking the World Food Summit, which is taking place in Rome. Check out the articles below to see what major news outlets are saying about the summit, including the link between food security and climate change and child health, as well as how the events are going in Rome. Let us know what you think and keep checking the ONE blog for updates on the Summit, which ends tomorrow.

At UN Food Summit, Ban Ki-Moon Warns of Rise in Child Hunger Deaths (Christian Science Monitor)
To open the World Food Summit in Rome yesterday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon underscored the plight of children suffering from starvation, saying that more than 17,000 children die of starvation every day—six million children each year. Many groups expressed outrage that malnutrition exists to such an extent despite surpluses in world food production. Many were discouraged by the lack of specific financial pledges from the Summit and the lackluster attendance by world leaders: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was the only G8 leader present.

UN: Climate Change Deal Key to Fighting Hunger (Voice of America)
At the opening of the summit yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced that a global climate deal is essential to fight global hunger. There can be no food security without climate security, said Mr. Ban, calling the food crisis “a wake-up call.” By 2050, the world may need to grow 70 percent more food to feed an estimated 2 billion additional people, he said, but extreme and unpredictable weather caused by climate change will make it difficult to do so.

World Leaders at UN Summit Vow to Aid Farmers in Bid to Help Starving (The Times Online)
Yesterday, world leaders agreed on a strategy to help the world’s one billion starving people by increasing aid to farmers in developing countries, but failed to pledge the specific funds the UN had hoped for. The FAO had asked for a $44 billion a year commitment for agricultural aid and a 2050 deadline for eradicating world hunger altogether. Instead, summit delegates confirmed the current target of halving the number of chronically hungry people by 2015, a commitment first made nine years ago. The FAO emphasized that the way to help poor farmers is to empower them by supplying agricultural equipment, irrigation technology, fertilizers and better seeds, rather than food aid.

Economic Revival Carries ‘Food Price Surge Risk’ (Financial Times)
Yesterday, Jacques Diouf, director-general of the FAO warned that food prices may surge again as the global economy recovers. Diouf warned that many of the same structural problems that led to last year’s spike in food prices are present again, including lack of investment, high demand in Asia and the conversion of food commodities into biofuels, adding that “we have all the elements of a crisis.” He encouraged countries to consider investing in technology to raise farmer productivity while other global food companies urged policymakers to boost investment in infrastructure spending.

Some Nations Successful in Global Hunger Fight: FAO (AFP)
Today, the FAO announced that some countries have made significant progress in the fight against hunger. According to the FAO, sixteen countries have already reached the goal of reducing hunger levels by 50 percent by 2015, an accomplishment which FAO chief Jacques Diouf lauded as evidence of “an unflagging commitment on the part of governments of developing countries themselves and energetic support by the international community.” Moving forward, the FAO emphasized the importance of a favorable economic environment, targeted investment, and sensible planning to be successful in the fight against hunger.

TAGS: Food security, Policy News