Thought for food

The World Food Day that we observe today highlights the urgent need for more international effort to address an emerging food crisis currently eclipsed by the global financial and economic crises.

With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, a recent report by the Food and Agricultural Organization found that there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people, meaning that almost one sixth of humanity is suffering from hunger.

If the international community does not respond swiftly and adequately to the worsening problem, the 1996 World Food Summit goal of reducing the number of hungry people by half by 2015 will never be achieved.