As the "Conference on World Food Security: Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy" unfolds in Rome, many international organizations mandated to offer solutions to the crisis of rising food prices have stepped forward. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), together with World Bank and other institutions put together steps to alleviate the problem that includes the need to:

• expand emergency aid and social protection for the poor
• calm the markets with sound trade, reserve, and regulatory policies
• change the biofuel policies that spur high food prices, and
• invest much more in agriculture, especially to benefit the small farms of the developing world

For a successful transparent implementation of the above action plan, the group proposed steps that require clear accountability, responsibility, and authority. In addition, these action should require governments' commitment for public investments at all levels, the involvement of private sector and civil society in the planning and implementation, and significant investments. It is imperative that the cost of not responding would mean more humanitarian emergencies, increased malnutrition, food price inflation, and destabilization.

For details, see press release at: http://www.ifpri.org/pressrel/2008/20080603.asp