Climate Prayers Week Three: Reduce Hunger in 2010

The number of hungry people in the world topped 1 billion for the first time in 2009. Yet November’s UN World Summit on Food Security failed to attract national leaders, commit funding, or set a timetable.

Two-thirds of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their food. So they are directly affected when the rains come early or late, or by floods and droughts.

Can hunger be reduced in 2010? Some countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, Vietnam and Armenia have reduced the number of hungry people by concentrating on two things.

Pray governments will invest in agriculture, especially smallholder farmers, to boost food availability in the medium term
Pray governments and aid agencies will provide emergency food safety nets so the needy can survive in the short term