Philippines urged to invest in small farm holders

An international aid agency is warning of a looming food crisis in the Philippines, where farms are shrinking, the population grows by 2 million a year and half of families already spend 56 percent of incomes on food.

But Oxfam says the government can ease the food crisis by boosting investments in small farm holders and fishers and taking steps to secure food for its growing population.

Oxfam Great Britain chief executive Barbara Stocking said on Friday that 500 million small-scale farms in developing countries already support a third of humanity and offer the greatest potential to boost global yields.

An Oxfam report says world prices of staples like rice, wheat and corn are forecast to more than double in 20 years, hitting the poor the hardest. AP