FAO SAYS FOOD PRICES STILL TOO HIGH FOR WORLD'S POOR

FAO SAYS FOOD PRICES STILL TOO HIGH FOR WORLD'S POOR

(ANSA) - Rome, November 10 - High food prices continue to penalize the world's poor despite a boost in world food production, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported Tuesday.

The organization said that a bumper year for world cereal production has failed to bring prices down in nations dependent on food imports, cementing famine and food shortages in the world's 31 poorest countries.

The FAO said that "stubborn" food prices were one of the main culprits pushing 100 million more people into the ranks of the world's hungry, bringing the total to over one billion.

''The food crisis is not yet over for the world's poorest, who spend up to 80% of their household budgets on food,'' the FAO said.

''Though world food prices have fallen significantly since their peaks a couple of years ago, wheat and maize prices strengthened in October and rice export prices are still way above pre-crisis levels''.

According to the FAO, record wheat production in North Africa this year has had little effect on food prices in the rest of the continent.

Crop failures and civil strife have left over 20 million people in eastern Africa dependent on food aid while droughts in western Africa are threaten to plunge countries like Niger, Mali and Chad into famine.

The FAO underlined that cereal prices in these countries are still above their pre-crisis levels two years ago.

The report comes ahead of the World Summit on Food Security from 16-18 November, bringing the world leaders to Rome in order to address the impact of the global economic crisis on the world's ability to feed itself.