Govts must not drop aid: FAO

ROME: Nations should avoid dropping aid or restricting trade amid the financial meltdown, the head of a UN food agency said on Wednesday, warning that such steps could increase the risk of hunger and put more pressure on food prices in the poorest countries.

Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Jacques Diouf expressed concern that the injection of capital into the financial system could push governments to rethink their commitments to development aid.

"If there is a recession, naturally it will be more difficult to mobilize resources for agriculture in developing countries, but also the income of people will not increase," Diouf said in an interview at the agency's Rome headquarters.