RI warns the world on global food crisis

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 09/28/2008 6:12 PM  |  National

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda called the world's attention to the gravity of the current global food crisis Saturday during a meeting of the UN General Assembly.

"I'm not exaggerating. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), food prices will continue to rise for the next three or five years," he added, reading from a statement delivered in New York to the assembly.

Hassan told the audience of UN delegates that rice and wheat supplies have been at their lowest point since the 1970s and 80s.

All over the world, food is urgently needed, as evidenced by food-related riots in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, he added. In certain countries, starvation has created the potential for social and political unrest.

"We have to keep our spirits high when dealing with the global food supply. If we fail, food crises will threaten peace and the poor in developing countries," he said. (dre)

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