Food Crisis Cooperation ‘Doomed’ Unless Action Taken, Annan Says

The food crisis that’s left almost 1 billion people hungry around the world, may turn into a “permanent disaster,” endangering millions of lives, said Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations.

“If countries cannot come together successfully to deliver food security -- this most basic of human needs -- our hopes for a wider international cooperation looked doomed,” said Annan, who served as UN Secretary General from 1997 to 2006. “We’ve seen a worrying rise in protectionism, unilateral export bans, land grabs and exclusive deals that meet the food needs of the rich but not the poor.”