The food industry in particular and agriculture more broadly are important economic drivers for the world. That's according to John Lamb of the World Bank, who notes that about three-quarters of the world's poor live in rural areas. Lamb says by their estimation, more than 100 million people fell below the poverty line when the economy took a turn for the worse during the global food price increase that peaked during the spring of 2008.
The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization estimates 1.5 billion people, about one-fifth of the planet's population, are food insecure. Lamb says a large majority of them are in one way or another involved in agriculture. Lamb believes using agriculture to get accelerated economic growth in rural areas has the effect of furthering growth not only for the country as a whole but in raising incomes and producing livelihoods for some of the poorest people on the planet.
Lamb serves as the World Bank's Agribusiness Team Leader. He manages the global agricultural and rural enterprise work program in the Agriculture and Rural Development Department. He will share his vision for feeding the world during his presentation at the 2009 Food System Summit sponsored by the Center for Food Integrity and the National Council of Chain Restaurants. The summit is set for Oct. 6-7 in Kansas City.
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