Vatican City, Jul 8, 2008 / 05:30 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, spoke on the current food crisis last week at a meeting of the 2008 Economic and Social Council. The archbishop said that the council must do more than talk about what caused the crisis, and instead take “immediate and effective” action to help those who are starving.

In his English-language talk, the prelate recalled how a recent resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on the "Right to Food" highlights "the obligation of States, with the assistance of the international community, to make every effort to meet the food needs of their populations through measures which respect human rights and the rule of law."

Archbishop Migliore said that he sees the current food crisis as the result of a series of interlocking problems. “Short-sighted economic, agriculture and energy policies which caused a clash between the increasing demand for food items and the insufficient production of food on the one hand, and the increase in financial speculations on commodities, uncontrollable increase of oil prices and adverse climate conditions on the other."

To read the rest of this story, click here .