Last month the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) announced that one billion people throughout the world are suffering from hunger. The global financial crisis has increased this number by 100 million from last year, leaving one-sixth of the world population subject to hunger.
Despite the economic crisis and the record high numbers of people suffering, a BBC news article points out that much of the developed world is richer than ever before. FAO director Jacques Diouf has urged leading governments to provide assistance to boost agriculture, particularly for small farm holders. "Investment in agriculture must be increased because for the majority of poor countries a healthy agricultural sector is essential to overcome poverty and hunger and is a pre-requisite for overall economic growth," he said.
 
The G8 Summit which met in L'Aquila, Italy may offer a response to Diouf’s request. The G8 leaders announced that they intend to spend $20 billion over the next three years on agricultural resources and tools for small farmers in poor nations. The measure is seen as a necessary step to help people become self-sufficient and increase their standards of living. The US is to contribute an unconfirmed $3.5 billion; France and the EU have also made pledges. The UN and poverty groups continue to stress that these commitments come from newly allocated funds and are not simply a reallocation of funds from other development projects. Furthermore, countries which have yet to commit to assistance make it necessary to continue encouraging leading governments to get on board as the numbers of those impacted by the crisis climb.

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Read the BBC article >>