The global economic crisis is to blame for an increase in world hunger, according to the UN.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), has projected that world hunger will reach an historic high in 2009, affecting upwards of 1.02 billion people.

Traditionally, world hunger has been attributed to poor global harvests, but the FAO is instead blaming the increase on the economic downturn, which has resulted in lower incomes and highs in unemployment.

FAO Director-General, Jacques Diouf, said: “A dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices in many countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic hunger and poverty.

“The silent hunger crisis – affecting one sixth of all humanity – poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions.”

According to the FAO, the number of hungry people increased from 825 million in 1995-97 to 915 million in 2008. It has reached its estimate for 2009, based in part on information derived analysis from by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS), which examined the percentage increase in the number of hungry people in different parts of the world as a result of the recent global economic crisis.

Under the backdrop of the world credit crunch a variety of different backgrounds are feeling the effects. Money transfers between migrants and their families have declined substantially resulting in the loss of foreign exchange and household income; the urban poor are being heavily affected by a reduction in export demand and foreign direct investment resulting in heavy job losses; and rural areas will face an increase in demand on services as migrants return home.

President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo F. Nwanze, said there is a glimmer of hope for many of the world’s poor and hungry: “Many are smallholder farmers in developing countries. Yet they have the potential not only to meet their own needs but to boost food security and catalyse broader economic growth.

“To unleash this potential and reduce the number of hungry people in the world, governments, supported by the international community, need to protect core investments in agriculture so that smallholder farmers have access not only to seeds and fertilisers but to tailored technologies, rural finance and markets.”