Ethiopian Review

L’AQUILA, Italy — Leaders at the Group of Eight (G8) summit pledged 20 billion U.S. dollars Friday to help poor countries increase their agriculture output in order to fight hunger.

“We welcome the commitments made by countries represented at L’Aquila toward a goal of mobilizing 20 billion dollars over three years through this coordinated, comprehensive strategy focused on sustainable agriculture development, while keeping a strong commitment to ensure adequate emergency food aid assistance,” the leaders said in a statement.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a press conference at the end of the three-day summit, that the G8 leaders “initiated a L’Aquila Food Security Initiative to increase from 15 billion dollars to 20 billion dollars in three years.”

The G8′s statement said a number of factors, including longstanding underinvestment in agriculture and food security, food price increases and the economic crisis, have led to increased hunger and poverty in developing countries.

“The number of people suffering from hunger and poverty now exceeds one billion,” the statement said, pointing out “an urgent need for decisive action to free humankind from hunger and poverty.”

The leaders also called for effective food security actions to be coupled with measures related to climate change, and the management of water and other natural resources.

“Delivering on our commitments in a timely and reliable manner, mutual accountability and a sound policy environment are key to this effort,” the statement said.

The leaders said the food security agenda should focus on agriculture and rural development by promoting production, productivity and rural economic growth,.

The three-day summit gathered leaders from the G8 countries, five major developing countries and some African nations, as well as international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Participants discussed a wide range of issues including food security, and the global economic crisis.

- Xinhua