THERE are a host of issues, like the North Korea's intransigence, Iran's nuclear programme and global warming that are being discussed by the world's richest nations at the G8 platform in Toyako. Yet it is the global energy and food crises that appear to be the overriding source of concern for the Summit. Nevertheless keeping in view its past performance, comprising the group's failure to fulfil its promises, there doesn't appear to be much hope for the poverty-stricken sections of the world. Growing energy consumption by the emerging powers and skilful speculation are two of the causes of the present spiralling oil prices and the global food shortage. A war with Iran would definitely propel things out of control. But having said that, a long-term strategy to tackle the food crisis must be developed independent of all other concerns since nowhere in recent history was the human race so vulnerable to the monster of hunger as perhaps at present. The UN has already warned of an impending food tsunami and, according to estimates, there will be about 9.2 billion more mouths to feed by 2050. The worry is that the symptoms of this greater tsunami have already started to make their presence known in various forms. Many parts of the world, particularly Africa, are in the grip of violent food-related riots. This suggests that the victims of starvation could resort to all possible means to stave off hunger. A world like that would not all be a pleasant place for a few rich nations to live.