'We have never seen so many hungry people in the world', warns U.N. chief



Jacques Diouf says 1bn people across the world are now classed as 'hungry'

The number of hungry people in the world is estimated to hit a record 1billion - roughly one-sixth of the world's population - the U.N. food aid organization warned yesterday.

Although the recent financial crisis has helped bring global food prices down, it has also led to falling trade and lower development aid.



As a result, an additional 104million people are likely to go hungry this year - meaning they receive fewer than 1,800 calories a day, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization's general director, Jacques Diouf.



The number of people considered hungry in 2007 increased by some 75million, while a further 40million joined the ranks in 2008.

Speaking at a two-day meeting in Paris between the FAO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Diouf said: 'We have never seen so many hungry people in the world.

'Food security is a matter of peace and security in the world.'

He warned that food production will have to double by 2050 just to keep pace with population growth.



Despite a 30 percent drop in food prices from June 2008, overall food prices still remain above 2006 levels.



In the developing world, however, food prices have dropped only 12-14 percent since June 2008, it was revealed.



Surveys show that prices of basic staple foods in many poor countries have barely registered any drop.



Higher food prices spurred a 12-13 percent increase in production in wealthy countries.



But developing countries - excluding giants such as China, Brazil and India - have only seen a 0.4 percent rise in food production, which has been offset by the increase in population.



Systemic problems - such as weak infrastructure and dependence on rain - are to blame for poor nations' near-stagnant production.



Bad roads in rural areas, lack of proper food storage facilities and a lack of irrigation infrastructure continue to keep farmers in poor countries from producing more, Diouf said.



He and other experts at Wednesday's conference called a greater percentage of development aid to poor countries to be spent on agriculture.



Following the so-called Green Revolution of the 1970s - during which crop yields and food production skyrocketed - aid money spent on agriculture has dwindled from 17 percent of total aid to just 3 percent.



Jacques Diouf says 1bn people across the world are now classed as 'hungry'

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