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REUTERS World Bank President Robert B Zoellick holds up a bag of rice and a loaf of bread at a news conference in Washington The un acknowledges that in the past few decades governments and international financial institutions have not paid any attention to agriculture. Now the un, states and

  ASTRID AGOSTINI Economist

The final press conference of the meet was postponed by an hour and a half because there were disagreements on the final document to be read by DG Diouf. According to fao sources, the dispute was to do with biofuels and the liberalization of agricultural trade. The delay did not come as a surprise; an undercurrent of dispute, stemming from differing concerns, was there all through the

  AKINWUMI A ADESINA Vice-president, policy and partnerships,Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)   Though AGRA says it is supporting small farmers, Annan held a separate meeting with private players, including the International SeedFederation and the International Fertilizer Association , and not with civil

During the conference several countries and international banks and donors pledged funds to fight hunger and help agricultural development.

Price is just the start of it. We need to kick the petroleum habit or we'll soon be in real trouble, says Ian Sample.

Don't imagine that pumping more oil will get us out of our current mess, argues Matthew R Simmons - dealing with the addiction is the only option.

While environmentalists may blame climate change for the worst floods in the Midwest since 1993, dams and river straightening have a role too.