The United Nations (UN) World Food Summit on Food Security started on November 16 in Rome,
The various world leaders unanimously adopting a declaration pledging renewed commitment to eradicate hunger from the face of the earth sustainably, at the earliest date. They also committed to reverse the decline in domestic and international funding for agriculture and promote new investment in the sector, to improve governance of global food issues in partnership with relevant stakeholders from the public and private sector, and to proactively face the challenges of climate change to food security.
FAO says the share of international aid that is allocated to agriculture has steadily declined over the last three decades. While the summit agreed on the need to increase agriculture’s share of international aid, it did not allocate the $44 billion annually — 17 percent of overall foreign aid — the FAO says is necessary to feed a population that is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050. (PIA)