UNITED NATIONS - Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon says he is moving "at full speed" to get a top-level UN task force and world leaders to tackle the world food crisis.

Ban said he would hold a first meeting of the task force next Monday and would be sending invitations to all world leaders to join him at a high-level meeting in Rome from June 3-5 to work out a strategy to address and overcome the crisis.

The secretary general told reporters on Monday that the food crisis grew out of more than a decade of neglect and ineffective development policies.

He said it was time for a new start.

Ban said he has called on government leaders not to adopt measures that distort trade and push up prices. He also called for immediate action to get seeds and fertilizer to small farmers.

Source: The New Zealand Herald