FAO believes that high food prices pose a threat to poor countries

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released a report on the 10th, saying that although the world will have a bumper grain harvest in 2009, high food prices still pose a serious threat to poor countries.

Despite encouraging world grain production in 2009, food prices have not declined in countries dependent on food imports, and people in 31 of the world's poorest countries are still suffering from hunger and food shortages, the FAO said in its report. Need emergency assistance. High food prices are one of the important reasons why the number of hungry people in the world exceeds 1 billion.

For the world's poorest people, the food crisis is far from over, the report said. Although world food prices have fallen significantly compared with their peak two years ago, wheat and corn prices remained strong in October, and rice export prices remained above pre-crisis levels.

Although grain production in North Africa is expected to be significantly higher this year than last year, many parts of the continent still face the threat of hunger, according to the FAO. The situation in East Africa is particularly dire, with drought and regional instability forcing some 20 million people to rely on food aid to survive.

FAO will hold the World Summit on Food Security in Rome from 16 to 18 November.