http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/s...
A combination of the food crisis and the global economic downturn has pushed more than 1 billion people into hunger in 2009, about 100 million more people than last year.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme said 1.02 billion people are undernourished in 2009, the highest number in four decades. Related articles
The increase in the number of hungry people is not a result of poor harvests but is due to high food prices – particularly in developing countries – lower incomes and lost jobs.
"The rising number of hungry people is intolerable," said FAO director-general, Jacques Diouf. "We have the economic and technical means to make hunger disappear, what is missing is a stronger political will to eradicate hunger forever."