Leaders from the Group of Eight major nations should agree on a framework for promoting deliberations on global food shortages when they meet in Hokkaido next week, the head of the governmental lending agency for agriculture said.
Unlike global environmental problems that have been discussed for many years, the food problem has suddenly come to the fore, Yuki Takagi, governor of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Finance Corp. of Japan, said during a recent interview ahead of next week's G8 summit.
Although the summit may agree to support countries suffering food shortages or those in need of improving agricultural infrastructure, it will be difficult for the leaders to agree on specific issues regarding each G8 member's policies, including those related to biofuel, in the absence of accumulated deliberations on food problems, Takagi said.