Leaders or representatives from the G8 industrialized countries, other invited countries and world organizations attend the Working Session on Food Security in L'Aquila, Italy, July 10, 2009, the last day of the 2009 G8 summit and its related meetings. (Xinhua/Zeng Yi) Photo Gallery>>>

    L'AQUILA, Italy, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Leaders at the Group of Eight (G8) summit pledged 20 billion U.S. dollars Friday to help poor countries increase their agriculture output in order to fight hunger.

    "We welcome the commitments made by countries represented at L'Aquila toward a goal of mobilizing 20 billion dollars over three years through this coordinated, comprehensive strategy focused on sustainable agriculture development, while keeping a strong commitment to ensure adequate emergency food aid assistance," the leaders said in a statement issued after the summit in this central Italian city.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi addresses the closing press conference of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in L'Aquila, central Italy, July 10, 2009. The three-day G8 summit and its related meetings ended here on Friday. (Xinhua/Zeng Yi) Photo Gallery>>>

    Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a press conference at the end of the summit, that the G8 "initiated a L'Aquila Food Security Initiative to increase from 15 billion dollars to 20 billion dollars in three years" to help fight world hunger.

    The G8 statement said a complex of factors, including longstanding underinvestment in agriculture and food security, food price hikes and the economic crisis, led to increased hunger and poverty in developing countries.

    "The number of people suffering from hunger and poverty now exceeds one billion," the statement said, pointing out "an urgent need for decisive action to free humankind from hunger and poverty."

U.S. President Barack Obama walks to the venue of the Working Session on Food Security, part of the Group of Eight (G8) meetings, in L'Aquila, Italy, July 10, 2009. (Xinhua/Zeng Yi) Photo Gallery>>>

    The leaders also called for effective food security actions to be coupled with measures related to climate change and management of water, land, soil and other natural resources.

    "Delivering on our commitments in a timely and reliable manner, mutual accountability and a sound policy environment are key to this effort," the statement added.

    The leaders said the food security agenda should focus on agriculture and rural development by promoting production, productivity and rural economic growth.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo (2nd L, front), on behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao, attends the Working Session on Food Security, part of the Group of Eight (G8) meetings, in L'Aquila, Italy, July 10, 2009. Leaders or representatives from the G8 industrialized countries, other invited countries and world organizations attended the Working Session on Food Security in L'Aquila on Friday, the last day of the 2009 G8 summit and its related meetings. (Xinhua/Zeng Yi) Photo Gallery>>>

    The leaders also called for open markets and opposition to protectionism.

    "Markets must remain open, protectionism rejected and factors potentially affecting commodity price volatility, including speculation, monitored and analyzed further," they said.

    They vowed to enhance governance for food security and to promote rural development, saying those elements are key to defeating hunger and malnutrition.

    The leaders also promised to advance the implementation of the Global Partnership for Agriculture and Food Security by the end of this year.

    The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), a program of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), they said, "is an effective vehicle for ensuring that resources are targeted to a country's plans and priorities."

    "We are determined to translate these principles into action and take all the necessary measures to achieve global food security," the G8statement said. "We will aim at substantially increasing aid to agriculture and food security including through multiyear resource commitments."

    It has been reported that not all of the pledge is new funding, as a few G8 countries have failed to carry out pledges to Africa made in 2005 at the Gleneagles G8 summit in Scotland.

    The eight rich countries have pledged to increase aid to the sub-Saharan African region by 25 billion dollars a year by 2010.

    But so far, there has been a shortfall of 23 billion dollars, according to aid agencies.

    Italy, the host of this year's G8 summit, has been strongly criticized for reimbursing only 3 percent of its pledge of 3.5 billion dollars to Africa.

    The three-day summit gathered leaders from the G8 countries, five major developing countries, and some African nations, as well as from international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

    Participants discussed a wide range of topics including food security and the global economic crisis.