It excludes Somalia, where 18 American soldiers died five years ago trying to end chaos and famine: it still has no Government.

African leaders, opening a United Nations-backed conference here, appealed today for democracy and unity to end civil wars, famine and economic collapse on their continent.

Despite repeated stated intentions by the world's leaders to end hunger and famine, famine remains a chronic threat in much of Africa and Asia.

While organizations around the world are fighting to end famine, so far, no one has come up with a game-changer.

"The son of a Moscow merchant who'd grown up in a poor rural village plagued by recurring crop failures and food rationing, Vavilov was obsessed from an early age with ending famine in both his native Russia and the world."

Americans won't rush to intervene in "failed nations," nor will they volunteer to fight in remote civil wars (other than Spain, of course), but they could be convinced that they should send troops to "end famine."

Why can't we end famine in Somalia?

In recognition of her leadership at WFP in ending famine and decreasing hunger, Ms. Bertini received the World Food Prize, known as the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture" in 2003.

Some Somalis have come to scoff at the United Nations' Pakistani peacekeepers and say the organization has been ineffectual in ending the strife and famine in their country.

Underground journalists working from North Korea report that the never ending famine had finally led to cannibalism amongst its citizens.