United Nations Radio

The consequences of soaring food prices -- starvation, malnourishment, riots and unrest -- are hitting millions of people around the world. The causes of the current crisis are complex, but the effects on people are clear, as is the need for solutions. The United Nations is among those taking the lead in responding to this challenge.

Episode 7: In this episode, we look at one of the main steps to overcome the high price of food: an investment in agriculture.

The causes of the current food crisis are many. In previous episodes we have examined some of them. But one thing that the experts agree on is that the world needs to radically increase its food production. Agriculture is the main livelihood of most of the world's poor. However, agricultural assistance has fallen by more than half over the last 25 years. Investing in agriculture is the key to using the current crisis as an opportunity to boost agricultural production, ensure food security and to bring subsistence farmers out of poverty.

Producer: Laura Kwiatkowski

Presenter: Donn Bobb

(duration: 10'38")