(Thumbnail image: FAO)

Protestors gathered at the opening of the three-day world hunger summit in Rome to demonstrate their disappointment over the issue of global hunger and the lack of global leadership.

The summit’s purpose was to provide a plan of action to feed the more than one billion starving people around the world. But protestors may have something new to protest.  The summit failed to secure funds needed to combat hunger and has been called a failure.

The media have conflicting viewpoints on what the summit planned to do and what was actually accomplished.  

We are looking at perspectives from the Voice of America, New Tang Dynasty Television, The Roman Forum, France 24, and One World UK.

Some hoped to discuss larger issues of responsibility. A member of the International Fund for Agriculture Development told New Tang Dynasty Television that solving the global hunger problem should not solely depend on developed nations.

“I think it is totally mistaken for us to expect that it is only through financial assistance from the developed world that the developing world is going to be able to grow its own food and feed its own population.”

The Roman Forum says that before a plan can be acted upon, there first must be an agreement about finding sustainable solutions.

“…the UN’s Millennium Development Goals of halving the worlds hunger-stricken by 2015 have been showed to the door.  An agenda which, however principled, may have conspired to cloud the debate and delay solutions, favouring targets at the expense of ‘method’.”

Others ask if one summit was enough.  France 24 highlights caution from aid groups who say accountability was not enforceable because there were no deadlines written in the summit's declaration.

“Aid groups warn that the summit will have a weak impact.  The final draft declaration is already written; it pledges to boost agricultural aid but makes no promise to eliminate world hunger by 2025.”

Finally, OneWorld UK condemns the failure of the World Food Summit.
 
"The UN World Food Summit threw away a great chance to stop more than one billion people going hungry…. [it] failed to make any major breakthroughs. And the G8 leaders didn’t even bother turning up.”

What do you think? What the World Food Summit a waste of time? Or should we try it one more time

Writer: Newsy staff

Producer: David Wolfgang