International Business / The Pacific

World Bank, U.N. Group Blasted for Food Estimates: The independent environmental and social research group Worldwatch Institute charged that overly optimistic projections of future food production are causing under-investment in agriculture and population control throughout the world and will lead to food shortages. It said the discrepancy grew from 56 million tons in 1992 to 225 million tons in 1995. Both the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization strongly disputed the criticism. The World Bank said the Worldwatch analysis was based on an unofficial paper that did not represent the organization’s true estimate of production trends. The FAO said food production in the developing world is keeping pace with population growth.