UN calls for setting up emergency food stocks
Sunday, 20 September 2009
GENEVA, Sept 19 (AFP): The UN's special rapporteur on the right to food yesterday called for emergency food stocks to be set up in order to respond better to the needs of the poor during times of crisis.
"Establishing emergency food stocks" is one of the most significant measures that could be taken in the short term to improve the world's hunger situation, Olivier De Schutter told journalists.
Strategic reserves of around 300,000 tonnes of grain would allow the UN's World Food Programme to intervene in a food crisis without having to buy at high rates on the world markets, he said.
While the cost of food staples has dropped since June 2008, the UN says that prices remain high in a number of countries.
The world financial crisis had worsened the hunger situation in the world, with more than a billion people not eating enough and 2.5 billion others malnourished, De Schutter said.
"Establishing emergency food stocks" is one of the most significant measures that could be taken in the short term to improve the world's hunger situation, Olivier De Schutter told journalists.
Strategic reserves of around 300,000 tonnes of grain would allow the UN's World Food Programme to intervene in a food crisis without having to buy at high rates on the world markets, he said.
While the cost of food staples has dropped since June 2008, the UN says that prices remain high in a number of countries.
The world financial crisis had worsened the hunger situation in the world, with more than a billion people not eating enough and 2.5 billion others malnourished, De Schutter said.