By KUNA,
London : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was Tuesday calling for international action to confront what he describes as a “world food crisis.” Brown was writing for the Downing Street website ahead of a food prices summit meeting with scientists, supermarkets, farmers and aid agencies.
The Prime Minister said global food prices were at their highest since 1945 and tackling hunger was “a moral challenge” for everyone.
He also said the UK needed to be “more selective” in its support of biofuels.
Brown said that although British shopping bills had been forced up because of rising global food prices, the impact was felt hardest by the world’s poorest countries. “The World Health Organisation now views hunger as the number one threat to public health across the world, responsible for a third of child deaths and 10 percent of all disease”, the Prime Minister wrote.
“Tackling hunger is a moral challenge to each of us and it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of nations. So I believe we need to see a fully co-ordinated response by the international community”, he added.
The Prime Minister also called for an “agricultural revolution” involving technology that would help farmers in developing countries grow higher-yielding crops.
Brown also wants to see investment in storage facilities and roads to ensure produce gets to market rather than “being left to rot”, but he said the World Trade Organisation was close to making a deal to open up rich world markets and cut agricultural subsidies, which he said could be “a huge incentive” for increased food production in poor countries.
On the subject of biofuels, the British leader said the UK needed to look closely at the impact on food prices and the environment of production methods and ensure “we are more selective in our support”.
“If our UK review shows that we need to change our approach, we will also push for change in EU biofuels targets”, he went on.
Today’s summit in London will bring together international organisations such as the World Food Programme, the African Development Bank, campaign groups like Oxfam and Save the Children as well as farmers and supermarkets, British officials said.
Participants are aiming to come up with a plan to present to the EU and the G8 over the summer and a special meeting of the UN in September, they added.
Earlier this month, the World Bank announced emergency measures, including a doubling of agricultural loans to African farmers, to tackle rising food prices around the world.
It warned 100 million people in poor countries could be pushed deeper into poverty by spiraling prices.
The crisis has sparked recent food riots in several countries including Haiti and Egypt.