The total number of food insecure people was probably closer to about three billion, or about half the population of the world, according to the United Nations midyear update of the World Economic Situation and Prospects. In addition, approximately 18,000 children die daily as a direct or indirect consequence of inadequate nutrition, the UN report says. The U.N. Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development Jomo Kwame Sundaram has said: "The factor affecting the food situation included the fact that the uses of land had changed in the last few decades, with a greater proportion that was previously used for agriculture now being used for non-agricultural purposes. At the same time, a greater proportion of the land used for agricultural purposes was now devoted to non-food agriculture. While there has been a significant increase in grain production over the years, it had not necessarily translated into increased human grain consumption.' A U.N. communication noted that another factor that needed attention was that although there had been a tendency to dismiss all bio-fuels, some were far more cost-effective than others. Some of the feedstock used to create some ethanol and bio-diesel had not resulted in food price increases. For instance, the price of sugar had not gone up the way that of corn had, in recent times. A much more nuanced and sophisticated view was needed on the whole question of bio-fuels. According to Mr. Sundaram, in the last two or three decades, there had been a significant increase in the concentration of power of transnational agro-businesses that had come to dominate not only marketing and consumption, but also the production and supply of food inputs. That problem was being exacerbated because of the strengthening of the intellectual property rights and the extension of those rights to cover agricultural inputs. The consequences had largely been at the expense of small farmers and consumers, especially the poor. Commodity prices had seen a continued surge in 2007 and early 2008, particularly agriculture and food prices, such as rice, which increased by 215 per cent up to April, while wheat prices went up by 83 per cent. These prices were expected to increase further in 2008 and then flatten out and reduce in 2009, as a consequence of the slowdown of the global economy. Slowdown The author of the World Economic Situation and Prospects report, Rob Vos, who is also Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division, has said there would be a slowdown in all regions. In the Africa region, if the pessimistic scenario were to play out, economic growth would almost come to a standstill, dropping to 2.2 per cent in 2008 and 1.1 per cent in 2009. In South and East Asia, the slowdown was expected to bring down growth from 11 per cent in 2007 to 8.5 per cent 2008. Latin America, which was linked to the U.S. market, was expected to suffer very strong negative impacts of lower demand, leading to lowered growth performance. The crisis in the U.S. itself had not bottomed out yet. The problems with the dollar had not disappeared and it expected more depreciation. There was also the surge in oil and food prices in recent months.