Managua (Nicaragua): Seventeen Latin American governments have issued a regional food "emergency" at the close of a one-day summit on the food crisis that underscored an ideological split among its participants.

The final statement included a 100-million-dollar Venezuelan initiative to boost cereal production that Mexico said should have been omitted because it was merely a proposal.

The document was signed yesterday by all but El Salvador and Costa Rica, who complained that Venezuela and its leftist allies were against free trade.
The summit, convened by the Alba trade group -- Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Cuba; all leftist regimes -- called for speeding up food production in Latin America and urged the 63rd UN General Assembly to take up the world food crisis when it meets in September.

The final statement, a copy of which was provided to AFP, also urged regional governments to increase investment in agriculture and the international community to "significantly" boost cooperation to ease the crisis.

More specifically, the summit suggested that private banks in the region invest up to 10 per cent of their assets in agricultural development, and criticised developed nations for their farm subsidies and technological monopolies that harm poorer nations.

The final statement also called for drafting a plan of action within 30 days to boost local food production in the region and establish a system of "fair trade within and between the countries that results in fair prices for producers and consumers."
Source : PTI