FAO calls for increased investment in agriculture to ensure food security

31 countries in the world are in urgent need of food emergency assistance, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Beijing, November 15, Wu Chengliang and Xinhua News agency reported that the summit is scheduled to be held from November 16 to 18th at the United Nations FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. Leaders will seek consensus on how to revive agriculture and strengthen world food security. The FAO's crop outlook and food situation, published on the eve of the current meeting, says that while the world's grains will reap a bumper harvest in 2009, some poor countries that rely on food imports are still threatened by high prices. Currently, the food security situation in 31 countries around the world is not optimistic and urgent assistance is urgently needed.　　While governments around the world are under financial pressure, the agricultural investment and security system remains an important means of effectively reducing food insecurity, as it is now and in the future, FAO said.　　High food prices pose a threat to poor countries the FAO report noted that although international food prices had fallen sharply from their highs two years ago, wheat and corn prices rose in October this year, with rice exports still higher than before the food crisis. The report says the food security situation in Africa is grim. Among them, the situation in Eastern Africa is particularly serious, as is the situation of drought, regional instability and the distortions in food trade caused by tariff barriers, which has led to alarming food insecurity in the region. Some 20 million people in the region must rely on international food aid for their survival. In Kenya, for example, corn production is expected to fall by 30% this year.　　In West Africa, where rainfall is below the historical average, this year's grain harvest is expected to be worse than last year. Currently, food prices in many countries in the West African region are higher than they were two years ago during the food crisis. In the Mali capital of Bamako, Bourkina-faso Capital Ouagadougou, the Niger Capital Niamey market, corn prices are higher than the same period two years ago, respectively, 35%, 42% and 21%, the price of imported rice is also about 22%-46%. Food production in Nigeria could lead to further increases in grain prices across the region, FAO warned. In southern Africa, food prices remain high in some countries despite a bumper harvest this year.　　The food situation in North Africa is slightly better, with wheat production expected to hit a record high of 21.5 million tonnes, a sharp increase from last year.　　In addition, rice production in Asia is expected to decline this year, as weather anomalies and natural disasters have caused agricultural production in major rice-producing regions such as India, Japan, South Korea, Laos and Sri Lanka. Developing countries need 44 billion dollars a year for aid according to FAO estimates, the global hunger and undernutrition population reached 1.02 billion this year, the highest since 1970 and continues to grow. High food prices are one of the major causes of the rising hunger in the world.　　Moreover, the benefits of falling world cereal prices have been offset by a slowdown in global economic growth. In response to the current severe food security situation, the FAO Director-GeneralOn the eve of the World Food Security Summit, Diouf noted that 70% of the world's poor live in rural areas, and neglecting investment in agricultural projects is a major cause of hunger. Among global overseas development assistance, the proportion of agricultural development assistance has fallen from 17% in the 80 's to 3.8% in 2006. Increasing investment in the agricultural sector is the most specific and practical goal to address food security issues, especially for small farmers in poor countries.　　Increased investment in agriculture will also be the focus of the summit on Food security. He added that developing countries need 44 billion of billions of dollars of overseas development aid each year to ensure food security. Developing countries themselves should also increase their budget share for agricultural infrastructure construction, while encouraging the development of private investment projects.　　At present, some countries have committed themselves to increasing the proportion of agricultural development assistance, and countries around the world are attaching more and more importance to the development of agricultural projects. At present, the developed countries and developing countries have reached a consensus in solving the problem of food security, that is, poor countries need to develop their own economy and acquire advanced policy instruments to increase agricultural productivity; agricultural investment must increase, because for most poor countries, a healthy agricultural sector is essential to the fight against hunger and poverty, is a prerequisite for overall economic growth. The international community has the technical means and resources to eradicate hunger throughout the world, and what is needed now is political will.