United Nations Radio

The World Food Programme is sending a high level delegation to St. Petersburg, Russia, where world leaders will brainstorm this weekend on how to manage grain supply.

WFP food distribution

The World Grain Forum, led by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, will bring together top officials from governments, international organizations and the private sector.

The world produces millions of metric tons of wheat, maize, rice and sorghum, but WFP says, those grains are not where they need to be when markets get tight as they did during the crisis of soaring food prices last year.

The agency says a lack of access to food creates problems such as hoarding, food riots and export restrictions.

Issues to be discussed in St. Petersburg include coordination of regional reserves of real grain stored in silos or virtual reserves in the form of funds set aside to buy grains.

The World Food Programme says as the world's largest buyer and distributor of food assistance the issue of managing grain supply is critical for it.

Diane Bailey, United Nations.

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