Friday 10 July 2009

$20bn food aid pledge at G8 conclusion



G8 leaders have pledged $20billion to boost food supplies to poorer nations following the final day of discussions at the summit in L’Aquila, Italy.

The investment, which rose from an expected figure of $15 billion, will help countries develop their own agriculture.

At a press conference following the conclusion of the three-day summit, Gordon Brown said it was “unacceptable” that some people in the world are going hungry.

He said:

“We agreed today to the urgent need for decisive action to free humankind from hunger and poverty and we want to make sure in tomorrow’s world that no-one will go hungry any more… I believe not only does Africa have a capacity to feed itself if things are done right, but it can in future also play a major part in feeding the world.”

Mr Brown said that stabilising food supplies in Africa will help to avoid food security problems around the rest of the world. He added that Britain would contribute $1.8 billion towards the programme.

The Prime Minister told reporters that the G8 had also agreed to take forward economic measures agreed at the G20 in London earlier this year, calling on countries to ensure more bank lending, to reject protectionism and to invest in recovery.

He said:

“The G8 has heard loud and clear a second wake-up call on the world economy. It’s a call that we avoid complacency, it’s a call that we accelerate progress on the agreements that we reached at the G20 in London.”

Earlier today, Mr Brown met Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi - the first time the two leaders have met.

During their 40-minute discussion, they covered topics such as Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, who is appealing against his conviction and seeking to return to Libya, and British child Nadia Fawzi, who was abducted by her Libyan father two years ago. Oil prices and international finance for Africa were also on the agenda.

While Mr Brown took part in the summit, his wife Sarah and the other G8 spouses learnt more about the UN World Food Programme’s Red Cup project.

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