ROME, 3 June 2008 (IRIN) - At least seven countries - almost all in Africa - are rated as highly vulnerable to rising food costs, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Gambia, Liberia, Mauritania, Niger, Zimbabwe, and Jordan and Moldova - which have all chalked up high levels of debt - could be forced to spend as much as two percent of their gross domestic product on importing food. Most of these countries are already struggling with chronic hunger, so soaring food costs raise the threat of political instability.

Their vulnerability was underlined on Tuesday by FAO director-general Jacques Diouf, who made an impassioned appeal to world leaders meeting in Rome, Italy, to make available US$30 billion a year to revitalise agriculture and avert future food conflicts.