(CNN) -- Those battling global warming by promoting biofuels may unintentionally be adding to skyrocketing world food prices, creating what one expert calls "a silent tsunami" in developing nations. The rising prices are "threatening to plunge more than 100 million people on every continent into hunger," Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations' World Food Program, said on the agency's Web site Tuesday.
Sheeran is one of the experts attending a Food summit hosted Tuesday by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, aimed at determining ways to boost food supplies and identify deterrents. Also attending the meeting are scientists and representatives from the European Union and Africa.
On the Web site, Sheeran said the increase in food prices is "a silent tsunami that respects no borders."
"The world's misery index is rising ... as soaring food and fuel prices roll through the lives of the most vulnerable," she said Friday.
The crisis is forcing the organization to look for cuts in aid to some of its recipients, she said.
Soaring food prices have triggered violence in some developing countries, and biofuels are bearing at least part of the blame.
Producing fuel from plant crops is supposed to be greener than drilling for oil, and biofuels generally burn cleaner, too. But the global biofuels industry now stands accused of a list of side effects that are said to be damaging lives, especially of the world's poorest people.
"The drive for more biofuels means more investment is going into those crops, meaning less land and less investment going in for food crops, causing a massive conflict and resulting in rising prices, which is having a huge negative impact, especially on developing countries," said Clare Oxborrow, food campaigner for Friends of the Earth.
Critics also say that in Africa, Asia and South America, people are being driven from their land and forests are being cleared to make room for the booming biofuel industry.
The International Food Policy Research Institute says the use of cereals for industrial purposes like making biofuels has risen by a quarter since 2000.
Brown said in an article posted on the 10 Downing Street Web site, "We now know that biofuels intended to promote energy independence and combat climate change are frequently energy-inefficient.
"We need to look closely at the impact on food prices and the environment of different production methods and to ensure we are more selective in our support. If our UK review shows that we need to change our approach, we will also push for change in EU biofuels targets," he said.
"We must also do more to explore the links between climate change and food, and particularly their impact on the livelihoods and vulnerability of the very poorest, who are likely to be most affected by climate change."
The meeting he convened, Brown said, is a precursor to the G8 summit of industrial nations, to be held in July, and a special U.N. summit in September.
He urged prompt action.
"With one child dying every five seconds from hunger-related causes, the time to act is now," Brown stressed.
The World Health Organization views hunger as the No. 1 threat to public health around the world, responsible for a third of child deaths and 10 percent of all disease.
Douglas Alexander, Britain's International Development secretary, announced Tuesday that Britain has set aside a 455 million-pound [$900 million] aid package to address the food crisis. His agency manages Britain's aid to poor countries with the goal of eliminating extreme poverty.
译文:
联合国专家：食品危机是“一场无声的海啸”
CNN--以推行生化燃料的方式来抵制全球变暖可能会在无意中加速全球飞速上涨的食品价格，在发展中国家中造成专家所说的“一场无声的海啸”。
周二，联合国世界粮食计划署的执行理事约密夫·希兰在该机构网站上说，飞涨的价格会“威胁到所有大洲共计1亿人口，是他们陷入饥饿之中。”
希兰是众多参加了周二由英国首相戈登·布朗主持的食品峰会的专家之一，此次会议旨在决定如何增加食物供给，鉴别目前的威胁所在。希兰还参加了由欧盟和非洲科学家及代表召开的会议。
希兰在网上说道，食品价格的上涨是“一场没有国界的无声的海啸。”
周五时，她说道，“世界的悲惨指数正在上升。。。飞速上涨的食品价格和油料价格正在碾压最脆弱人群的生活。”
她说，这一危机迫使组织减少了对其一些成员的援助。
猛涨的食品价格已经在一些发展国家中引发了暴力事件，而生物燃料也成为罪魁祸首之一。
从农作物中产出燃料的方式确实比从油料中提炼燃料更为环保，一般来说生物燃料的燃烧过程也比较清洁。但是现在全球的生物燃料工业被指责也产生了一系列副作用，对人类产生了危害，尤其是世界上最贫困的人口。
地球之友的食品运动者克莱尔·奥克斯博罗说：“对生物燃料的需求量越大，就意味着在农作物上的投资将更高，就会有更少的土地和投资用于食用作物的生产，这样就导致了大规模的冲突，引发食品价格的新高，对发展中国家而言造成了巨大的负面影响。”
评论家还说在非洲，亚洲和南美地区，人们正被驱离他们的土地和森林，而那里即将被清除为蓬勃发展的生物燃料工业创造空间。世界粮食计划署说自2000年起，被用于工业目的，像是生产生物燃料的粮食用量已经上升了25%。
布朗在一篇英国政府网上的一篇文章中说道，“现在我们知道生物燃料可以帮助推动能源独立，抵制由能源利用率低造成的气候变化。”
“我们必须紧密观察生物燃料对食品价格产生的影响，不同生产方式对气候的影响来确保我们在选择供给品方面更具主动权。如果我们英国的评论圈认为应当改变我们的方法，那么我们也将努力争取改变欧盟中的生物燃料目标。”，他说。
“我们还必须加倍探索气候变化与食物之间的关系，尤其要探究其对最贫穷人口的生计和弱点的影响，他们最有可能受到环境变化的影响。”
此次由布朗召集的会议是工业国家的八国集团峰会的先驱者，将于七月举行，在九月还有一次联合国特殊会议。
布朗呼吁各界对此问题做出及时的反应。
“现在每隔五秒就有一名儿童因饥饿而死亡，是时候行动起来了。”，布朗强调说。
世界卫生组织将饥饿视作威胁全世界公共健康的头号杀手，占全球儿童死因中的三分之一，占所有病因的百分之十。
道格拉斯·亚历山大，英国国际发展部部长，周二宣布英国讲提供价值4.55亿英镑的援助包裹用于解决食品危机。英国国际发展部管理该国对贫困国家的援助事宜，旨在消除赤贫现象。