http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2009/april/mier8/child.html
Havana. April 8, 2009
Every six seconds a child dies from hunger
UNITED NATIONS. -Every six seconds, somewhere in the world a child dies
of malnutrition, according to Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on the right to food. In a UN General Assembly session, the official
also stated that there are 1 billion people going hungry in the world, the
majority of them women and children, and that the dimensions of the global food
crisis are far from having diminished this year.
"On the contrary, the volatility of prices and climate change will
inevitably exacerbate the situation in 2009 with the poor being those most
affected," De Schutter said.
The expert indicated that the reasons for global hunger are
marginalization, poverty, lack of land and decent employment, along with an
unjust international trade system that has sparked a decrease in investment in
agricultural projects over the last 30 years.
The Rapporteur proposed redesigning international trade with the
objective of boosting economic growth, as well as evaluating the potential of
different models of agricultural development aimed at feeding the most
vulnerable populations.
Likewise, De Schutter urged the application of incentives and regulations
necessary to assure that transnational industrial agricultural companies
contribute to the development of countries which serve as a source of
resources. (Notimex)
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