ROME, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- World leaders on Thursday concluded a three-day summit here on global food security, but the high-profile effort to eradicate hunger was criticized as lackluster.

    "A single meeting cannot solve world hunger but we certainly expected far more than this," said Gawain Kripke, spokesperson for international aid agency Oxfam.

New-Zeeland Minister of Agriculture David Carter delivers a speach during the final day of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit in Rome, capital of Italy, on Nov. 18, 2009. The three-day FAO summit on food security aims to relieve over 1 billion people in the world from hunger. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse) Photo Gallery>>>

    "The result is not commensurate with the problem, which is historically huge -- a billion people now facing hunger and looming climate change," Kripke said. "The near total absence of rich country leaders sent a poor message from the beginning. The summit offered few solid accomplishments."

    The summit, hosted by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), took place as a record 1.02 billion people worldwide are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Every six seconds, a child dies of malnutrition.

Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Akylbek Kurishbayev delivers a speach during the final day of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit in Rome, capital of Italy, on Nov. 18, 2009. The three-day FAO summit on food security aims to relieve over 1 billion people in the world from hunger. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse)Photo Gallery>>>

    In a declaration adopted on the first day of the gathering, the leaders said the number of people suffering from hunger and poverty was "an unacceptable blight on the lives, livelihoods and dignity of one-sixth of the world's population."

    However, the declaration did not mention the FAO's proposed target of eradicating hunger by 2025 or any new financial commitments.

Papua Neuw Guinea Minister for Agriculture & Livestock John Hickey delivers a speach during the final day of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Summit in Rome, capital of Italy, on Nov. 18, 2009. The three-day FAO summit on food security aims to relieve over 1 billion people in the world from hunger. (Xinhua/Thierry Monasse) Photo Gallery>>>

    FAO director-general Jacques Diouf said he felt upset that world leaders were merely committed to general goals without setting precise dates for the total eradication of hunger in the world, nor figures regarding the funds necessary to increase agriculture investment to double food production by 2025.

    The FAO said under investment in agriculture in the developing world had been a root cause of global food insecurity. It has sought a pledge from rich countries to provide 44 billion U.S. dollars per year to help poor countries.

FAO leader calls for fight against world hunger by hunger strike 
    ROME, Nov.14 (Xinhua) -- Jacques Diouf, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization director-general, Friday launched a 24-hour hunger strike ahead of the World Summit on Food Security to call for an end to hunger.

    Diouf urged "people of goodwill everywhere" to join him in a global hunger strike this weekend, calling for solidarity with the world's one billion chronic malnutrition victims. Full story

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