The director of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation, Jacques Diouf, is calling for a global fast this weekend.

He wants as many people as possible to do without food to show solidarity with the estimated one billion people worldwide who suffer real hunger. Mr Diouf himself intends to fast for 24 hours.

His call comes in the run-up to the World Summit on Food Security which begins in Rome on Monday. Mr Diouf has also posted a petition on the internet enabling people to protest against world hunger.

Pope Benedict XVI is going to attend the Rome meeting and the FAO hopes other international leaders will also be present. So far, only a few, including Brazilian President Lula da Silva and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Robert Mugabe, have said they will attend.

photo: child in Kenyan refugee camp (flickr/Zoriah)