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| Japan urges global food support | Japan urges global food support |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has called for urgent action to ensure food supplies to poor nations struggling with sharp price rises. | Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has called for urgent action to ensure food supplies to poor nations struggling with sharp price rises. |
| Speaking in Germany after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, he appealed for "short, middle and long term solutions to the crisis". | |
| Last week, he vowed to double Japan's aid to Africa within five years. | Last week, he vowed to double Japan's aid to Africa within five years. |
| Mrs Merkel said she would push G8 leaders to adopt a common approach to combating the rise in global prices. | Mrs Merkel said she would push G8 leaders to adopt a common approach to combating the rise in global prices. |
| The G8 is due to assemble in Hokkaido, Japan, on 7-9 July. Tokyo took over the group's revolving presidency from Berlin this year. | The G8 is due to assemble in Hokkaido, Japan, on 7-9 July. Tokyo took over the group's revolving presidency from Berlin this year. |
| Mr Fukuda said the food situation would top the summit's agenda. | Mr Fukuda said the food situation would top the summit's agenda. |
| He is on a trip to Europe as part of Japan's summit preparations, and will also attend the UN food summit in Rome next week. | He is on a trip to Europe as part of Japan's summit preparations, and will also attend the UN food summit in Rome next week. |
| Biofuel warning | Biofuel warning |
| "Food-producing countries no longer have sufficient stocks and are therefore trying to export less," the Japanese PM said in the German capital. | "Food-producing countries no longer have sufficient stocks and are therefore trying to export less," the Japanese PM said in the German capital. |
| Japan's PM warns rising food prices means poor counties can no longer buy enough to eat | |
| "This has become the case with more and more countries in recent months. | "This has become the case with more and more countries in recent months. |
| "This has pushed up prices and countries who cannot cope with the additional cost no longer have enough food. | "This has pushed up prices and countries who cannot cope with the additional cost no longer have enough food. |
| "So we have to sit down as the international community and come up with short-term relief measures." | "So we have to sit down as the international community and come up with short-term relief measures." |
| In the longer term, he added, richer nations must help their poor counterparts, particularly in Africa, to be in a position to produce more food and become self-sufficient. | In the longer term, he added, richer nations must help their poor counterparts, particularly in Africa, to be in a position to produce more food and become self-sufficient. |
| "We need to export seed and know-how to those countries who need it," he said. | "We need to export seed and know-how to those countries who need it," he said. |
| Both he and Mrs Merkel agreed that the production of biofuels as an alternative energy source must not be allowed to affect crop cultivation. | Both he and Mrs Merkel agreed that the production of biofuels as an alternative energy source must not be allowed to affect crop cultivation. |
| "We must make sure that biofuel production does not... interfere with the need to produce food," the German chancellor said. | "We must make sure that biofuel production does not... interfere with the need to produce food," the German chancellor said. |
| Appeal to Africa | Appeal to Africa |
| Last week, Mr Fukuda addressed leaders from more than 50 African countries at a conference in Yokohama, Japan. | Last week, Mr Fukuda addressed leaders from more than 50 African countries at a conference in Yokohama, Japan. |
| He called on them to work together on measures to try to combat climate change. | He called on them to work together on measures to try to combat climate change. |
| He pledged that by 2012 Japan would double its aid to Africa, currently $1.7bn (£850m), increasing it gradually year by year to meet the target. | He pledged that by 2012 Japan would double its aid to Africa, currently $1.7bn (£850m), increasing it gradually year by year to meet the target. |
| However, Japan gives less to the continent than the US or Britain, France and Germany - three countries with smaller economies. | However, Japan gives less to the continent than the US or Britain, France and Germany - three countries with smaller economies. |