Nairobi  - Urgent measures are needed to address food insecurity in Africa and boost production, the Director-General of the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Jacques Diouf said Thursday at a regional conference on Africa.

Food insecurity in Africa has been exacerbated by the rapid rise in food prices together with climate change, greater demand for food products in emerging economies, the rise of biofuels, rapid population growth and urbanization, Diouf said.

Many African nations are struggling to meet their people's needs and sometimes-deadly riots have broken out in many countries.

UN agencies have warned that countries such as Somalia, also hit by war, and Ethiopia, hit by drought, are being badly affected by the rising food prices, with millions facing hunger.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki echoed Diouf's concerns, calling on delegates at the two day ministerial-level meeting in Nairobi to find a solution to the growing crisis.

"Let me emphasize that for the poor people who are shouldering the heaviest burden of the current high food prices, a solution must be found now," he said.

Kibaki also urged African nations to invest in order to harness the full potential of Africa's water basins to produce freshwater fish, which he said were being under-utilized.

Trade barriers aimed at protecting western markets also came under fire at the meeting.

Kenyan Agricultural Minister William Ruto said that Kenya wanted to mobilize African governments to force an end to what he says are unfair trade barriers that were making the food crisis worse for Africa.

Ruto said that Kenya would use the upcoming G8 summit in Japan to put pressure on the West to dismantle the barriers and also called on African governments and donors to stop under-investing in agriculture.

A collective representing women's organizations and farmers from across Africa also demanded the opening up of agricultural markets.

"The World Trade Organization (WTO) must be removed from agriculture and allowed to deal with other issues only," said South African Tryphos Radebe, a member of Kwa Zulu Natal Landless People Association. "The power of the people is in the land and not elsewhere and this must not be taken away."

The alliance also called on African governments to commit a minimum of 10 per cent of their budgets to agricultural development. (dpa)