U.N. Says More Poor Filipinos Eating Less To Cope With Food Crisis

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - The ugly sight of long queues of Filipinos lining up to buy subsidized government rice, is a strong evidence that more and more are becoming poor and traditional middle class are now competing with the poor to have access to food.

Worst, the scenario also means more poor Filipino families were now cutting down on the quantity and quality of their food consumption just to survive.

The United Nations International Finance for Agriculture Development released a study Monday titled "Soaring Food Prices and the Rural Poor," which showed that poor families in most developing countries were the most vulnerable with the global food crisis.

The study said, "Food buyers, and net food buyers, clearly are suffering the most. Though in some countries, where the increased producer prices are actually official government procurement prices, small farmers risk losing out once more as market intermediaries take the greater part of the increase. This was cited as a problem both in Pakistan and Philippines."

Those most vulnerable were poor families living in the rural areas, the U.N. IFAD announced.

In the study "Soaring Food Prices and the Rural Poor" by the International Finance for Agriculture Development, an organization under the United Nations, showed that in many developing nations the cost of food has hurt the poor particularly those living in the rural areas.