Russia ready to challenge starvation

Russia says it has the resources to partly alleviate soaring food prices, by exporting more grain. The country’s Agriculture Minister joined dozens of ministers and world leaders at the UN Food Summit in Rome – all seeking ways to avert starvat

“Today we can feed not only our population but can become a large exporter of grain,” Russia’s Agriculture Minister Aleksey Gordeev said.

The UN summit comes as food costs in some countries have reached 30-year highs in real terms, causing riots in several places.

The UN Secretary General has warned the world that it needs to produce at least 50 % more food by 2030 to meet growing demand. Ban Ki-moon says export restrictions and import tariffs must be minimised.