United Nations: Economic and Social Council president calls for action to turn 'threatening situation into renaissance' as special session on food crisis concludes

The representative of Venezuela, associating herself with the Group of 77 and the Rio Group, said it was misleading to link the food crisis with the rising price of oil, pointing out that even in periods when oil prices were low, Ethiopia had experienced famine and grain prices had frequently risen. Rather than blaming oil producers, it was necessary to increase agricultural productivity, ensure equal access to markets and allow developing countries the freedom to set the rules they needed. Venezuela had been taking measures to strengthen food security on a regional basis and through South-South cooperation. Among other initiatives, it had proposed efforts to finance food security and initiatives to conserve biodiversity.