An African leader has dismissed the UN's food agency as a "waste of money" and called for it to be scrapped.
President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal spoke out days after the UN announced an emergency plan to bring soaring world food prices under control.
Mr Wade said the Food and Agriculture Organisation was itself largely to blame for the price rises.
His comments came Latin American farm minsiters meet to boost production ...
Czech president grants pardon to sponsor of his party-press ...
Birmingham City shares suspended ...
Chad rebels 'cross from Sudan' ...
US drops Africa military HQ plan ...
Intervene in Nigeria, Bush urged ... as Nigeria braced for a national strike by bakers over the cost of flour and sugar.
Some global food prices have nearly doubled in the past three years, provoking riots and other protests in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Last week the UN unveiled a $200m (Ј100m) package to boost food production in the worst-affected countries.
Mr Wade said on Senegalese radio and television that the FAO's work was duplicated by other organisations that operated more efficiently.
He said he had campaigned in the past for the agency to be relocated from Rome to a country in Africa - the continent most affected by food shortages - but was now going further in calling for it to be scrapped.
(BBC)
<< Back