A summit on the global food crisis was at risk of closing without a declaration of intent yesterday because of squabbling over side issues.

Delegates from 183 countries at the Rome talks missed their Wednesday deadline for agreeing a final statement about "eliminating hunger and securing food for all."

"The food crisis which the world faces today is so serious that it would be disastrous for the survival of mankind if the conclusions reached suffer the same fate at this historic summit," said Ghana's President John Kufuor.