THE World Bank has issued an urgent call to rich nations to help stem rising food prices, warning that social unrest in poor countries is spreading and that 100 million people are at risk of being plunged deeper into poverty. "We have to put our money where our mouth is now, so that we can put food into hungry mouths. It is as stark as that," said World Bank president Robert Zoellick, as he called for more contributions to the $500 million World Food Program.

Europe's Food Supply Not At Risk From Biofuels

Biofuels Threaten Food Access In Latin America

Haiti govt falls after food riots Reuters/bdnews24.com . Port-Au-Prince Haiti's government fell on Saturday when senators fired the prime minister after more than a week of riots over food prices, ignoring a plan presented by the president to slash the cost of rice. Sixteen of 17 senators at a special session voted against the prime minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis, an ally president Rene Preval placed at the head of a coalition cabinet in June 2006 that was meant to unite the fractious Caribbean nation.

Finance Ministers Emphasize Food Crisis Over Credit Crisis STEVEN R. WEISMAN Published: April 14, 2008 WASHINGTON

WB meets as rising food prices spark unrest Agence France-Presse . Washington The World Bank opened its spring meeting here Sunday as rising food prices spark deadly unrest in developing countries, underscoring the urgency of ensuring desperate people get fed. Policymakers of the anti-poverty bank are due to discuss a massive plan to reduce hunger announced earlier this month by bank president Robert Zoellick.

The Myanmar Government has agreed to provide 100,000 MTs of Rangoon Kekulu with immediate effect to overcome the current increase in the rice of price in the local market artificially created by hoarding. The decision was taken during the visit made by Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperative and Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardena to Myanmar last week. Minister Gunawardana told the Daily News that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was directly involved to the matter through discussions with the Myanmar Government.

EU Can Hit Biofuels Goal Without Conflicts - Germany SLOVENIA: April 14, 2008 BRDO - The European Union can achieve its 2020 target to get 10 percent of all transport fuel from biofuels without adding to soaring food prices and harming rainforests, Germany's environment minister said on Saturday. "We can meet the 10 percent target through biofuel production in the European Union (and imports of) raw materials, which do not lead to a conflict with food or rainforests," Sigmar Gabriel told reporters on the fringes of a meeting of EU environment ministers in Slovenia.

A doubling of food prices over the past three years could push 100 million people in poorer developing countries further into poverty and governments must step in to tackle the issue, World Bank president Robert Zoellick said on Sunday. "Based on a rough analysis, we estimate that a doubling of food prices over the last three years could potentially push 100 million people in low-incomecountries deeper into poverty," Zoellick said in a statement at the end of the World Bank spring meeting here.