Gordon Brown has 6 course lunch, 8 course dinner, tells world to stop wasting food

[motivez]

Gordon Brown and his fellow world leaders have sparked outrage after it was disclosed they enjoyed a six-course lunch followed by an eight-course dinner at the G8 summit where the global food crisis tops the agenda.

The Prime Minister was served 24 different dishes during his first day at the summit – just hours after urging the world to reduce the "unnecessary demand" for food and calling on British families to cut back on their wasteful use of food.

Mr Brown and his wife Sarah were among 15 guests at the "blessings of the earth and the sea social dinner".

The dinner consisted of 18 dishes in eight courses including caviar, smoked salmon, Kyoto beef and a "G8 fantasy dessert".

The banquet was accompanied by five different wines from around the world including champagne, a French Bourgogne and sake.

African leaders including the heads of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Senegal who had taken part in talks during the day were not invited to the function.

The dinner came just hours after a "working lunch" consisting of six courses including white asparagus and truffle soup, crab and a supreme of chicken.

The lavish dining arrangements – disclosed by the Japanese Government which is hosting the summit in Hokkaido – come amid growing concern over rising food prices triggered by a shortage of many basic necessities.

On the flight to the summit, Mr Brown urged Britons to cut food waste as part of a global drive to help avert the food crisis.

Opposition politicians and charities condemned the extravagant meals.

Dominic Nutt, of Save the Children, said: "It is deeply hypocritical that they should be lavishing course after course on world leaders when there is a food crisis and millions cannot afford a decent meal to eat.

"If the G8 wants to betray the hopes of a generation of children, it is going the right way about it. The food crisis is an emergency and the G8 must treat it as that."

Andrew Mitchell, the shadow International Development Secretary, said: "The G8 have made a bad start to their summit, with excessive cost and lavish consumption.

"Surely it is not unreasonable for each leader to give a guarantee that they will stand by their solemn pledges of three years ago at Gleneagles to help the world's poor. All of us are watching, waiting and listening."

Mr Brown arrived at the G8 summit held on the holiday island of Hokkaido in northern Japan on Monday morning.

He arrived on a plane chartered from Texas, America, which had to fly empty for thousands of miles to pick up the Prime Minister and his entourage.

Unlike other countries, Britain does not have an official plane to transport the Prime Minister.

The lavish dining will embarrass Mr Brown, who has made tackling the global food crisis a key priority.

On the flight to the summit, the Prime Minister urged British people to cut food waste and "reduce unnecessary demand".

He said: "We need a global plan to deal with rising food prices that are affecting millions of families in Britain. That's why I am proposing that we take action to both increase the global supply of food and reduce unnecessary demand.

"If we are to get food prices down, we must also do more to deal with unnecessary demand, such as by all of us doing more to cut our food waste which is costing the average household in Britain around £8 per week."

Talks between world leaders at the summit will focus on dealing with soaring food and oil prices.

There is also hope for a breakthrough on protracted talks to secure a new global trade deal.

However, the leaders are facing criticism amid allegations that pledges for development aid promised for the third world at a previous G8 summit in Scotland have been watered down.

The Prime Minister's spokesman declined to comment on the menus.

G8 summit: Gordon Brown has eight-course dinner before food crisis talks - Telegraph



This is just stupid. 24 different dishes on the first day, and then they think they have some kind of authority to tell the rest of the world to stop 'wasting' food if they can afford it?

What is it with politicians thinking they should be able to preach to the common folk without making any changes in their own lives? Do they think we're really that stupid?

[Ardentfrost]

This exemplifies my biggest problem with a large portion of people like this. They want us to change, but don't practice what they preach. This isn't much different from Al Gore using all that electricity at his house, but pretending it's ok because he buys carbon offsets or whatever.... it's still wasteful!

And a man with this many chins shouldn't be telling people anything about them eating too much:

[Phantom]

This is a stretch. He goes to these things as part of his job and doesn't seem to request or demand this stuff, it's just part of the deal.

If Mr. Brown eats like a pig daily, there would be some basis for complaint, like the case of Al Gore's energy use.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by Phantom

This is a stretch. He goes to these things as part of his job and doesn't seem to request or demand this stuff, it's just part of the deal.

If Mr. Brown eats like a pig daily, there would be some basis for complaint, like the case of Al Gore's energy use.

How is it a stretch? One of his key agendas for the summit is food prices and hunger, and he goes out and has a 6 course lunch, and 8 course dinner?

If he really cared about the issue, he'd say something to the other rich yuppies sitting around shoveling course after course of food into their gaping maws instead of thinking it's only the common folk who should have to make sacrifices..

Chances are they used more food for the people there in that one day than several average families use over the course of a week. It's extremely hypocritical and doesn't make any sense.

It's all about leading by example.