Calls for travel and food freedoms at Sri Lanka Commonwealth meet

Nov 15, 2013 (LBO) - The Commonwealth was home to half the world's hungry and their pain can be eased by freeing access to food, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot said at a summit meeting in Sri Lanka, while a top official called for greater travel freedoms.







The Commonwealth is made up of countries in the former British Empire is not a nationalist body but an internationalist gathering.

"The Commonwealth is not a community of power wealth, geography religion or language.

It is a community of values," Abbot, the outgoing chair of the organization said in Colombo at the opening ceremony of is bi-annual heads of government meeting (CHOGM).

The last meeting was held in Perth.

"Our Perth Declaration on Food Security Principles recognizes that half of the world's one billion hungry live in Commonwealth nations.

And they deserve better."

"This means improving agricultural productivity and reducing barriers between food producers and markets.

"It means allowing markets to develop freely and naturally.

"

Free trade in food allows billions of people who are engaged in honest work outside farming to gain access to food at the lowest price.

The British left countries under their control with legislating parliaments that can cook up