Soaring food prices a wake-up call

EUROPEAN Union farm leaders have warned that surging food prices represent a wake-up call for member-state Governments.

COPA-COGECA, representing farmers and co-ops, issued a common declaration about food prices to the EU leaders as they began a two-day summit in Brussels.

The farm leaders claimed the recent surge in prices is the result of production no longer keeping pace with demand, following years of depressed world commodity prices and lack of investment in agriculture.