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Leaders clash on biofuels at food summit
Summary from Canada, from articles in English
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World food production must increase by 50 per cent by 2030 if it hopes to meet rising demand, the head of the UN told world leaders at a food summit in Rome Tuesday. (article 1)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said countries must strive to reduce export restrictions and import tariffs in order to overcome the current crisis in global food costs and supplies. (article 1)
The rising cost of rice and other developing world staples has already led to export bans by India, Thailand, Vietnam and other major rice-producing countries. (article 1)
Participants at the summit are being encouraged to establish a long-term plan for dealing with the crisis, which threatens to leave millions more malnourished around the world. (article 1)
An estimated 850 million people globally suffer from hunger, according to the FAO, most of them in developing countries. (article 1)
In particular, the UN pointed to the devastating effects of years of agricultural and trade policies that have punished small farmers in developing countries. (article 1)
Compounding the problem are subsidies provided to farmers in rich nations such as Canada, which critics say unfairly disadvantage small farmers on the global market. (article 1)
The viability of biofuels was also a major topic of discussion, with some arguing against the practice of diverting food crops toward fuel production. (article 1)
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Event tracking:
Story keywords
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biofuels, Food, summit, Countries, production |
Source articles
- Raise food production 50% by 2030: UN chief (cbc.ca, 06/03/2008, 662 words)
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blaster@cs.columbia.edu
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