Rome, where the largest global food organisations - FAO, IFAD and WFP - are headquartered, is the venue of the World Summit on Food Security (Nov. 16-18). The situation couldn't be more momentous.

“The global food insecurity situation has worsened and continues to represent a serious threat for humanity,” says the summit’s website.

According to the latest U.N. projections, the world population will rise from 6.8 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050 - a third more mouths to feed. Most population growth will occur in developing countries. High food prices in developing countries, a global economic crisis affecting jobs, deepening poverty, and more hungry people combine to paint a very bleak picture.