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Summary
Rome stepped up security on Sunday ahead of a UN world food summit that is likely to make little headway in the fight against hunger, with leaders simply pledging to boost agricultural aid to poor countries but setting no targets or deadlines for action. With more than one billion people going hungry, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation had called the November 16-18 summit in Rome hoping to win a clear pledge by world leaders to spend $44 billion a year to help poor nations feed themselves. But a final draft declaration seen by Reuters includes only a general commitment to pump more money into agricultural development, and makes no mention of a proposal to eliminate hunger by 2025. We commit to take action towards sustainably eradicating hunger at the earliest possible date, said the draft of the declaration, to be adopted on the first day of the Rome summit barring last-minute amendments. Over 1000 police took position outside the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) headquarters and around the city ahead of Monday's meeting.Aid groups said the summit, which few if any G8 leaders are expected to attend, already looked like a missed opportunity. Food shortages and malnutrition rose to the top of the political agenda since a spike in food prices last year sparked riots in around 60 countries and hoarding. The food scare also prompted some richer food importers like Saudi Arabia to snap up farmland in developing agricultural countries.
