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The UN World Summit on Food Security in Rome wrapped up yesterday with little progress on how to tackle the problem of global hunger. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was the only major Western leader to make an appearance at the event his nation hosted. Even though food prices have temporarily fallen after a sharp increase last year, many issues remain to be resolved, such as the loss of arable land to global warming, land grabs by private corporations, and continued mono-culture dominated agriculture for export by countries wracked with hunger. In the lead up to the summit, the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, went on brief hunger strikes to try to draw attention to world hunger. Outside the summit, myriad displays of protest were visible through street theater and demonstrations by human rights groups and farmers. Here in the richest country in the world, hunger is also a looming problem. More Americans than ever are experiencing food insecurity, according to a new report by the US Department of Agriculture. Nearly 49 million Americans had difficulty getting enough food to eat in 2008.

GUEST: Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute

For more information, visit www.oaklandinstitute.org.