UN: Economic Woes Threatening Food Secucity in Europe, Central Asia

The global economic meltdown may erase advances in alleviating poverty and food insecurity in Europe and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Jacques Diouf warned. The recession has undermined the agriculture sectors of Asian and European countries, according to FAO studies.

“[T]here is no more powerful engine for stimulating growth and eradicating hunger and poverty than investment in agriculture,” Diouf said during the agency’s 27th regional conference for Europe.

Some USD44 billion in official development assistance is needed each year to finance modern inputs, rural infrastructures and technologies for farmers in developing nations.