Hindus want emergent solution to rising world food prices

Nevada (US), Feb 4 (ANI): Hindus have expressed serious concerns at the recent historic rise in global food prices.

Notable Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that one sixth of all humanity was already suffering from hunger and these price hikes would further deteriorate the situation.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that United Nations (UN) and other world organizations should urgently come up with solutions regarding this serious issue of hikes in the prices of food staples, which some fear would continue to rise given the global conditions.

World food prices reached a new historic peak in January when FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) Food Price Index averaged 231 points. This is said to be the highest level since FAO started measuring food prices in 1990. According to an FAO release, "These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come. High food prices are of major concern especially for low-income food deficit countries that may face problems in financing food imports and for poor households which spend a large share of their income on food."

Rajan Zed also demanded that UN should declare access to adequate food a fundamental human right. It was immoral and ungodly for the world to watch one sixth of all humanity suffering from hunger day after day and not come up with a permanent solution.

Zed pointed out that it was unfortunate that instead of decreasing, numbers of hungry were increasing, and the number of malnourished was roughly now over one billion. Besides governments and private sector, religions should also join hands on this issue, which was a social and moral blight on all of us.

World needed to dramatically change its lifestyle and thinking and leaving greed aside, it should take care of its vulnerable populations, Rajan Zed added.

Headquartered in Rome (Italy), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations claims to lead international efforts to defeat hunger. Dr. Jacques Diouf is Director-General. (ANI)