Australia urged to do part in global food crisis

An expert on international agriculture says Australia is in a strong position to act and provide an example as part of international efforts to ease the global food crisis.

The United Nations is currently proposing solutions to the crisis at a summit in Rome after months of food riots in 37 countries and looming famine in parts of Africa and Asia.

The UN says 100 million people are now malnourished or starving because of a 40 per cent increase in food costs.

The situation has been brought on by a combination of food crops being diverted to biofuels; more demand from expanding middle classes in Asia; rising prices for fuel and fertiliser; and weather disasters.

Denis Blight is a former Australian diplomat and now head of the Crawford Fund, an international agriculture research organisation.