Conditions are ripe for a fresh surge in food prices as the global economy recovers, says the senior United Nations agriculture official.Jacques Diouf, director-general of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), believes that the world is not doing enough to avert another food crisis. His warning comes as leaders are expected to gather in Rome on Monday for the World Food Summit ."When the recovery picks up, we will be back to square one," Mr Diouf told the Financial Times in an interview.He said the same structural problems behind last year's spike in food prices were still affecting the market. These included lack of investment, surging demand in Asia and diversion of food commodities into biofuels."We have all the elements of the crisis," he said, adding that a weakening US dollar could exacerbate the upward price pressure in food commodities.
Jacques Diouf, director-general of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), believes that the world is not doing enough to avert another food crisis. His warning comes as leaders are expected to gather in Rome on Monday for the World Food Summit .
"When the recovery picks up, we will be back to square one," Mr Diouf told the Financial Times in an interview.
He said the same structural problems behind last year's spike in food prices were still affecting the market. These included lack of investment, surging demand in Asia and diversion of food commodities into biofuels.
"We have all the elements of the crisis," he said, adding that a weakening US dollar could exacerbate the upward price pressure in food commodities.
The world cannot achieve food security without first tackling global warming, the United Nations secretary-general said on Monday, warning that failure at next month's international climate change negotiations would result in a rise in hunger. The warning by Ban Ki-Moon at the start of a three-day UN world food summit in Rome came one day after Barack Obama, US president, backed European and UN views that the Copenhagen summit would not produce a legally-binding agreement to tackle global warming."There cannot be food security without climate security," Mr Ban said. "Today's event is critical," he said, referring to the food summit, "so is Copenhagen." Mr Ban's comments signal how leaders are grappling with the need to respond coherently - and simultaneously - to energy, food and climate challenges. "The three are key for political security and stability," said Alexander Muller, assistant director-general at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.
The warning by Ban Ki-Moon at the start of a three-day UN world food summit in Rome came one day after Barack Obama, US president, backed European and UN views that the Copenhagen summit would not produce a legally-binding agreement to tackle global warming.
"There cannot be food security without climate security," Mr Ban said. "Today's event is critical," he said, referring to the food summit, "so is Copenhagen."
Mr Ban's comments signal how leaders are grappling with the need to respond coherently - and simultaneously - to energy, food and climate challenges. "The three are key for political security and stability," said Alexander Muller, assistant director-general at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.
