The World Bank has called upon the international community to co-ordinate efforts to combat global hunger and create a New Deal for the worlds poor as soaring food and energy prices nudge 33 countries closer to social unrest.

World Bank President Robert Zoellic urged the US, EU , Japan and other developing countries to strike a New Deal on hunger and said the deal required a shift towards a broader concept of food and nutrition assistance, saying a top priority was to secure $500 million for emergency food aid.

Mr Zoellic also spoke of using funds to build local food markets and boost agricultural productivity ,  creating conditions for  a "green revolution" in sub-Saharan Africa. He also outlined plans to encourage sovereign wealth funds from emerging economies like China, India and Brazil to invest in Africa, in what he called a "one percent solution".

    
"Today, sovereign wealth funds hold an estimated $3 trillion in assets," he said.

"If the World Bank Group can help create the platforms and benchmarks, the investment of even 1% of their assets would draw $30bn to African growth, development and opportunity."

Mr Zoellick said trade was also key to lowering food prices, and that a fairer and more open trade system would encourage farmers in developing countries to expand production.

He also criticised what he described as "protectionism" and "isolationism" including by his own country, the US.

"The poor need lower food prices now. But the world's agricultural trading system is stuck in the past," he said.

"If ever there was a time to cut distorting agricultural subsidies and open markets for food imports it must be now."

The current tipping point has come about because the  US and other developed nations have been exporting higher food and energy prices to poorer countries as a response to their own economic problems  and  the rapidly developing countries like China and India have been creating the demand that is hiking up prices and so it remains to be seen how the US and countries in the Eurozone can respond to the World Bank's call and get a grip on  the  spiralling  living costs being experienced by their own citizens.

Is there a One World solution or is the World Bank merely handing round the begging bowl again for a quick but temporary fix for the worlds poor?

Are we prepared to share the pain or even the idea that we all have to scratch a living in the same backyard? 

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