World leaders will seek on Thursday to agree an action plan to tackle the global food crisis after three days of wrangling that have exposed strains over how to prevent hunger and poverty.
In a draft summit declaration obtained by Agence France-Presse, they vowed to use ”all means” to help victims of soaring prices that have stretched family budgets in rich countries and sparked food riots in others.
But the draft includes compromise language, notably on the vexed issue of biofuels, which are promoted notably in the United States but criticised by others as taking land that could otherwise be used for food production.
The wrangling over diplomatic language came after United Nations officials announced almost $3-billion of new aid to help ease the food crisis.
Those new pledges were welcomed, but UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned that up to $20-billion a year would be needed.
”We simply cannot afford to fail,” he said at the food security summit hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome. ”Hundreds of millions of people expect no less.”
Food prices have doubled in three years, according to the World Bank, sparking riots in Egypt and Haiti and in many African nations. Brazil, Vietnam, India and Egypt have all imposed food export restrictions.
The first day of the summit on Tuesday saw colourful remarks by the presidents of Iran and Zimbabwe about Western pressure, while there has been plenty of criticism of rich countries’ protection of their markets.
But by Wednesday British official at the summit John Holmes said a ”broad consensus” was building around an action plan, which is scheduled to be presented at a Group of Eight meeting in Japan later this month.
World Bank president Robert Zoellick called for the lifting of trade barriers that contribute to food price inflation.
”We need an international call to remove export bans and restrictions,” he said. ”These controls encourage hoarding, drive up prices and hurt the poorest people around the world who are struggling to feed themselves,” he said.
In the draft summit declaration, the leaders vow to ”use all means to alleviate the suffering caused by the current crisis, stimulate food production and increase investment in agriculture”.
They also agreed that food security must be taken into account in a long hoped-for new world trade accord, according to the draft declaration.
But biofuels have proven the most contentious issue, according to delegates.
In what critics would likely see as ducking the issue, the draft summit declaration says biofuels present both ”challenges and opportunities” — and say that more research is needed.
”We are convinced that in-depth studies are needed to ensure the production and use of biofuels is sustainable … taking into account the need to achieve and maintain food security,” adds the draft, which was still being worked on. — AFP
