Action needed at earth summit (From Warrington Guardian)

Action needed at earth summit in Rio de Janeiro

8:20am Thursday 28th June 2012 in Letters

THIS week the world will once again gather in Rio de Janeiro to discuss how we can continue to develop and prosper while protecting the planet.

In 1992, at the Rio ‘Earth Summit,’ leaders agreed to pursue sustainable development.

Twenty years later, 18 million people in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa do not have enough to eat due to persistent droughts, rising food prices and almost non-existent investment in agriculture.

The summit this week must be an opportunity to save lives and the future of the planet.

Leaders must recognise the urgency needed to overhaul the way we grow and distribute food.

Improving access to land and investing in smallhold farmers is vital if we are to produce food in a sustainable way and make sure that children, whether in Manchester or the Sahel, have enough to eat.

DIANE PORTER South Warrington