The head of the UN food agency urged Japan and other rich nations to give priority to aid for agriculture to solve the current global food crisis.

Japan has pledged to put the food crisis on the agenda when it hosts the annual summit of the Group of Eight industrialised nations in July.

"Focusing on agriculture in development and assistance in Africa would be a crucial element for solving the present food crisis," said Jacques Diouf, director-general of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Global food prices have nearly doubled in three years, according to the World Bank, sparking riots, protests and export restrictions worldwide.

As development aid to poor nations has steadily fallen, the share of overseas development assistance that goes to agricultural has dropped from 17 percent in 1980 to three percent in 2005, Diouf told a press conference.

"I believe Japan, in consultation with other heads of states, can ensure that this trend is reversed so that agriculture will be feeding (a global population of) six billion people today and nine billion people by 2050," Diouf said.

"At a time when 862 million people do not have adequate food, agriculture will be given the right priority," he said.

Diouf met Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to discuss the issue ahead of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Japan at the end of the month and the G8 summit.

Diouf called for greater investment in infrastructure such as rural roads, irrigation and modern storage facilities in Africa to combat waste and improve production output.

He said he would work with Fukuda and other G8 members on an action plan, including the need for seeds, fertiliser and animal feed for this and next year's growing season.

Source: Agence France Presse