G8 inaction is contributing to hunger spiraling out of control with more than one billion people – a sixth of the world’s population – going hungry every day, ActionAid said today.

Figures released today by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation show the number of undernourished people has risen to 1020 million, an increase of 100 million since 2008.

So far, the G8 countries have delivered little of the $10 billion pledged in 2008 to tackle the food crisis, with most of this arriving in short-term aid rather than the long-term investment needed to revitalise agriculture.

Unless G8 leaders put more money on the table when they meet in Rome next month the situation could worsen in just the same way over the next six months, adding the equivalent of the populations of the UK, Greece, Belgium, Portugal and Ireland to the number of hungry.

Otive Igbuzor, Head of Campaigns at ActionAid, said: “This is a shameful blot on the G8’s record but it also means millions of unnecessary child deaths as well as reduced productivity as people become too weak to earn a living.”

“With 100 million more people pushed into hunger since 2008, the G8 must concentrate on ensuring a funded global food plan,” he added. 

”G8 leaders need to address the effect of the financial crisis and act now to prevent more people falling into hunger,” said Igbuzor. “This means urgent social protection for people living in hunger and massive investment in smallholder agriculture to improve food security”.

Smallholder farmers are among those struggling the most, due to ongoing problems such as biofuels, climate change and land grabs. 

Many are also affected by the continued rise of local staple food prices in developing countries, even though global food prices have fallen from their 2008 highs.

Ban Van Tuan, 28, from Hoa Binh province in Vietnam grows corn and rice on a small piece of land but production is too meager to meet the levels required to feed himself, his wife and two daughters. He cannot afford to buy staple crops at his local market.

“We have learnt to live without meat, oil and other necessary items.  My family believes that they can never come out of poverty,” he says.

Tuan and his family collect herbs and trunks from trees, selling them to make money. He fears his daughters will be forced to drop out of school as he cannot afford to cover their expenses.

 

 

• For more information or to arrange interviews contact Anjali Kwatra on 020 7561 7633, mobile 07941 371357.
• ActionAid works to end global poverty and injustice