David Cameron said Britain must "lead from the front" and help beat world hunger. He spoke ahead of a protest rally in Hyde Park which demanded the G8 act on the issue. Bill Gates and Danny Boyle addressed the rally.
Myleene Klass and Gethin Jones are hosting a mass protest rally today to demand the G8 act on the issue of world hunger.
The event will include appearances from a number of campaign supporters including Grammy Award winning singer Angelique Kidjo, and specially recorded messages from David Beckham.
The organisers of a protest rally in Hyde Park have welcomed David Cameron's announcement that the Government will pledge £655 million for direct nutrition interventions until 2020.
Enough Food For Everyone wrote on Twitter:
Good news! @david_cameron has put the scandal of undernutrition firmly on the map #nutrition4growth #BigIF Please RT
Today, at the #Nutrition4Growth summit @david_cameron pledged £655m for direct nutrition interventions between now and 2020. #BigIF
At an international meeting in London with charities and companies, David Cameron has spoken about the need of beating hunger and malnutrition through business:
– David CameronIt has to be about doing things differently. Different in terms of business. Different in terms of science. Different in terms of government.
It’s all about helping those in developing countries take control of their own destiny.
For business it’s about harnessing the power of enterprise to educate people on the importance of nutrition in order to sell healthier food and make a commercial return while also transforming lives.
We will not tackle hunger and malnutrition without business.
Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has urged people to join him at today's protest rally against hunger in London's Hyde Park:
If you're in London, join me in Hyde Park at 2pm BST for the #IFCampaign rally to stamp out malnutrition. Tickets: http://t.co/M9a3GtsOwG
On June 8th at #BigIF in London, I’ll be there to urge the #G82013 to end the tragedy of hunger. Join me: http://t.co/zQyrmD4XRM
David Cameron has said the UK remains "fully committed to its foreign aid programme".
The Prime Minister said: "We are one of the few countries in the world to meet our promise to spend 0.7 percent of our gross national income on development.
"And as part of this commitment, we will use that money to play a full part in the battle to beat hunger.
"If others play their part too, the commitments that the UK is making today could help 37 million children fight malnutrition by getting the right food and the right care.
"If these children grow up healthy, they will increase their earnings by 10 percent".
Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK has "a proud tradition of helping others" ahead of next week's G8 summit.
Mr Cameron told a nutrition summit in London: "We're the kind of people who believe in doing what is right.
"We accept the moral case for keeping our promises to the world's poorest people, even when we face challenges at home.
"Think of Band Aid and Live Aid. Think of Red Nose Day. It says something about the sort of people that we are. This makes me proud to be British".
Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK must lead the fight against hunger ahead of next week's G8 summit.
Mr Cameron said, "One billion still go hungry. It's right that as Britain hosts the G8, we lead from the front and help beat hunger".
Thousands of people are expected to arrive at London's Hyde Park today, at an event aimed at tackling global hunger. Bill Gates and Danny Boyle will address the protest rally which coincides with a meeting hosted by David Cameron and intending to drum up billions of pounds for the cause.
The lobby group "Enough Food For Everyone If" pledged to involve the public in a 'visual petition' of 250,000 spinning flowers, featuring two million petals to represent the two million children who die because of malnutrition each year.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the "UN will do everything in its power to overcome malnutrition."
He added: "We must empower women so they are well nourished before and during pregnancy so they can breast feed."
The UN chief was talking via video link at an international meeting in London with charities and companies, aimed at combating malnutrition in the developing world.
David Cameron is due to talk shortly.
Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo said today "is a big day in the fight against child hunger" ahead of a protest rally demanding the G8 act on world hunger:
Today is a big day in the fight against child hunger. I’m speaking at #nutrition4growth summit before heading to the #BigIF rally Hyde Park