UN secretary-general calls food price rise a global crisis

Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:39 PM EDT

world-news, food, un, crisis, secretary-general-ban-ki-moon, world-food-program

Veronika Oleksyn, Associated Press Writer

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VIENNA — A sharp rise in food prices has developed into a global crisis, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday.

Ban said the U.N and all members of the international community were very concerned and immediate action was needed.

He spoke to reporters at U.N. offices in Austria, where he was meeting with the nation's top leaders for talks on how the United Nations and European Union can forge closer ties.

"This steeply rising price of food — it has developed into a real global crisis," Ban said, adding that the World Food Program has made an urgent appeal for additional $755 million.

"The United Nations is very much concerned, as (are) all other members of the international community," Ban said. "We must take immediate action in a concerted way."

Ban urged leaders of the international community to sit down together on an "urgent basis" to discuss how to improve economic distribution systems and promote the production of agricultural products.

An estimated 40 percent increase in food prices since last year has sparked violent protests in the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia.

On Thursday, U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization chief Jacques Diouf said immediate efforts should focus on helping farmers in developing countries grow more crops.

Josette Sheeran, the World Food Program's executive director, has likened the price increases to a "silent tsunami," and said requests for food aid are coming in from countries unable to cope with the rising prices.

She noted that the price of rice has more than doubled since March. The World Bank estimates that food prices have increased by 83 percent in three years.

___

Associated Press correspondent Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

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{"commentId":1715104,"authorDomain":"DeathOrLiberty"}

DeathOrLiberty

Governments in action! I smell a tax increase. When our scientists are constrained by government regulations and labels such a "frankenfood" and fear mongering against genetically modified foods. What is a starving person to do.? We have all the commodities one could ask for and 38% of Americans are malnourished. The affluent liberals all want everyone to eat organic, as they can afford to. What are the poor people to do? When the market, controlled by governments, prohibits innovation, or supports monopolies like Monsanto who can afford to lobby for their intellectual property; innovation suffers and subsidies beget homogenization of our food supply. Yes, science is frightening to the ignorant as magic was to the pilgrims. We need a global innovation strategy to increase food production based on the specific agronomies of the geographic areas affected by our exploitation of resources. The market needs to determine need and science can assist in the development.

{"commentId":1715104,"threadId":"253139","contentId":"1442764","authorDomain":"DeathOrLiberty"}

1 vote

#1 - Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:09 PM EDT

{"commentId":1715291,"authorDomain":"igmuska"}

igmuska

Perhaps a rethinking of the value of what money really is will save those starving people. Isn't money valued as some sort of standard on the level of depravation and suffering it causes for those that don't have money...ah there I go again spouting Marxist/Keynesian thought again! Oops, oh well, you know where I was going with this, maybe some one can explain it further or explain the difference between "old" money and "new" money?

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#2 - Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:23 PM EDT

{"commentId":1715334,"authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

kiml

The UN call for more food production will only make hedge fund managers more greedy.
Remove the hedge funds and prices will drop.
It wont happen, because these greedy people want complete control. At all costs. Let them starve.
We want our 12%+ gains.

{"commentId":1715334,"threadId":"253139","contentId":"1442764","authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

1 vote

#3 - Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:38 PM EDT

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U.N. leader: Rising food costs causing 'global crisis'	Yahoo! News	Sat Apr 26	0
UN Calls Food Crisis the 'Silent Tsunami'	The Washington Post	Wed Apr 23	0
UN chief says anti-poverty efforts are lagging in Africa	Associated Press	Mon Apr 21	0
WFP cuts school meals as food crisis grows	Guardian Unlimited	Wed Apr 23	3
The Growing Global Food Crisis	us.oneworld.net	Thu Apr 24	0

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