STWR - Share The World's Resources

The emergency food summit in Rome drew up the battle lines over the future of global agriculture - and the stakes could scarcely be higher, writes Sam Urquhart.

Biofuels have forced global food prices up by 75% - far more than previously estimated - according to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the Guardian.

Free-trade policies long advanced by World Bank President Robert Zoellick and U.S. President George W. Bush are losing favor as countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America find they can't buy enough food to feed their people.

As food and fuel prices continue to increase, writes Joseph Stiglitz, the world must look to new patterns of consumption and production.

The World Bank's response to the food crisis is a 'fire-extinguisher' approach that fails to address its root causes, argues Eurodad - namely the unregulated process of trade liberalisation, structural adjustment and stringent conditionality implemented by the World Bank and the IMF in the first place.

The Rome summit of the Food & Agriculture Organisation failed to address the roots of the current price and hunger crises. These lie in incoherent and unfair global food policies, says Sue Branford.