FAO TO OVERHAUL INTERNATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE

FAO TO OVERHAUL INTERNATIONAL FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE

(ANSA) - Rome, October 20 - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced major reforms to its international roundtable on food security on Tuesday.

The organization said member states agreed to make the Committee of World Food Security (CFS) ''the foremost international platform dealing with food security and nutrition'' as a central component in the global strategy for stamping out hunger.

The FAO said that the committee's new role will be to support national hunger plans and furnish access to the expert know-how which makes them successful.

''The CFS reforms are designed to focus the Committee's vision on the global coordination of efforts to eliminate hunger and ensure food security for all,'' read a statement issued Tuesday.

The new committee will comprise a number of non-governmental organizations, particularly those representing farmers, fishermen and the hungry themselves.

The International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization as well as a number of philanthropic groups will also have representation.

Assistant Director General of the FAO, Hafez Ghanem, said Tuesday that ''creating this important global platform means that we are building a better home for global food security including governments, international institutions, researchers, civil society and the private sector.''

Plans to reform the CFS come ahead of the World Summit on Food Security from 16-18 November, which will bring world leaders together in Rome in order to address the impact of the global economic crisis on the world's ability to feed itself.

Last week, the FAO reported that the number of people suffering from hunger this year had risen to over one billion, more than 100 million more than in 2008.