U.S. to outline strategy for food crisis

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer says he will outline a three-part, long-term strategy to fight rising food prices during next week's summit in Rome.

His message during the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organizations' World Food Security Conference is straightforward, Shaffer said during a news conference Thursday.

"(The) United States contributes more than one-half of all the world's food aid and the world's other developed nations have an obligation to provide food efficiently without obstructing access to it or limiting safe technologies to produce it," he said.

Under the three-pronged approach to combat worldwide rising food prices, the United States would:

-- Focus on immediate and expanded humanitarian help for countries unable to meet minimum nutrition standards.

-- Support measures to attack underlying causes of food availability in developing countries that can increase production and availability of staples.

that have the capacity to rapidly increase production and availability of staple foods.

-- Propose that countries consider strategies to expand research, promote science-based regulations, and encourage innovative technology.