Leaders to tackle food crisis at summit

By Robin Pomeroy

ROME (Reuters) - It has been described as a global crisis pushing 100 million people into hunger, threatening to stoke social and political turmoil and set the fight against world poverty back by seven years.

Now, the food price crisis will be tackled by world leaders who meet in Rome next week to seek ways of reducing the suffering for the world's poorest people and ensure the Earth can produce more food to sustain an ever growing population.

"It's time for action," said Jacques Diouf, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) who called the summit late last year before the full extent of the food price crisis was clear.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick underlined the urgency of the problem, announcing $1.2 billion (609 million pounds) in loans and grant financing for countries struggling with food and fuel costs.

"It is crucial that we focus on specific action," he said. "This is not an issue like HIV/AIDS where you need some research breakthrough. People know what to do."

A combination of factors, including poor harvests, low stocks and rising demand, have collided over the last one to two years to cause massive, sudden rises in many food commodity prices which very few people saw coming.

Food prices will remain high over the next decade even if they fall from current records, the FAO said in a report.

Diouf said he expected some 40 heads of state or government at the meeting on Tuesday to Thursday next week.