By Mohd Nasir Yusoff
JAKARTA, March 2 -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, noting that the largest number among the 15 per cent of the world's undernourished population are Muslims, has urged Muslim countries to invest in the development of agriculture and food industry.
The Malaysian prime minister told public and private sector leaders at the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) here on Monday that the growing number of undernourished people could no longer be ignored.
Quoting statistics, he said, the number of undernourished people had increased from 842 million in 1990 to 963 million in 2008, with 160 million were living on an income of less than 50 cents a day.
"The financial crisis has further eroded the purchasing power of the poor who spend 50 per cent to 70 per cent of their income on food," he said.
He noted that growth in agricultural productivity had been stagnating due to under investment in agricultural technology and rural development, and that global cereal production had plummeted since 2000, jeopardised further by the increasing volatility in climate.
He warned that if the trend continued, the Muslim world would not be able to feed its growing population in the near future.
RT : Food is a strategic commodity. Even industrialised countries like Japan still have padi lands even though it is a net importer of rice. As the population grows we need more food. If we are to defend on importation of food as our source we would be vulnerable. As such Malaysia and other Muslim countries need to solve this by introducing modern technology in their agricultural sector.
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