Europe’s unspent agricultural subsidies could be given to farmers in poor countries to boost production and alleviate hunger under a plan being considered by the European Commission.

High crop prices have left hundreds of millions of euros earmarked to buy unsold stocks from European farmers unspent while millions cannot afford to eat in poor countries. Mariann Fischer Boel, the farm commissioner, proposed on Tuesday that they be given to developing world farmers to buy seeds and fertiliser.