Annan calls for investment in agriculture to address food crisis
Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan Saturday told governments to invest more in agriculture to avoid future food crises, but warned that current shortages would hurt the poor. Annan said the surging price of basic foods like rice, wheat and corn in some of the world's poorest countries, which have triggered riots in Haiti and demonstrations in some African countries, will last for sometime. Factors contributing to the rise include the increasing demand for biofuels, and the rising cost of oil and transportation.