World Hunger 12 Myths

Food First

Text adapted from 12 Myths about Hunger http://www.foodfirst.org/12myths https://commerce12.pair.com/~pront011/images/pubs/books/woh uco.jpg

Myth 1

Not Enough Food to go Around

• Reality: – Abundance of food • 3,200 calories/person in grains • Also vegetables, beans, nuts, root crops, grass-fed meats, fish.

– Most people too poor to buy the food – Many hungry countries are net exporters of food

Vietnam food market

http://www.alpha-random.com/pics/vietnam-food-market.jpg

Myth 2

Nature is to Blame for Famine

Famine in Ethiopia

• Reality: – Food is always available • to those who can afford it – Starvation hits the poorest – Human institutions, policies • determine who will eat during hard times – Millions live near disaster • Deprived of land • Debt • Low pay – Society values economic efficiency over compassion http://www.wfp.org/newsroom/img/indepth/0505_poss-famine-insurance.jpg

Myth 3

Too Many People

• Reality: – World is undergoing demographic transition • Birth rates dropping due to decline in death rates – No direct correlation between population and hunger • Hunger in Nigeria – Sparsely populated • Wealth in Netherlands – Densely populated – Population growth due to poverty and inequity • People’s lives must improve before birth rates drop http://www.bvallc.com/pensionblog/uploaded_images/Crowd-702052.jpg

Myth 4

The Environment vs. More Food?

Deforestation in Brazil for hardwoods

• Reality: – Environmental crisis • is threatening food production – Efforts to feed the hungry • are not causing the environmental crisis – Profits for developed countries are the problem • Deforestation • Pesticides http://www.realestatetwincities.net/wp content/uploads/2007/10/istock_000003249271devastation480x319.jpg

Myth 5

The Green Revolution is the Answer

• Reality: – Green Revolution: • Huge production advances with improved seeds – But economic power • Still concentrated in hands of a few • Poor cannot afford to buy grain – Hunger persists while grain exports have increased • India • Mexico • Philippines

“Father” of the Green Revolution

http://www.nbipsr.org/images/normbor.jpg

Bolivian Farmer

Myth 6

We Need Large Farms

• Reality: – Large landowners control best land • Often leave much of it idle • Often inefficiently farmed by tenet farmers – No incentive – Small farmers • 4-5 X output/acre • Work more intensively – Land Reform • Distributes land to small farmers • Successful in raising yields http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/images/wsci_01_img0012.jpg

Myth 7

The Free Market Can End Hunger

• Reality: – Market is efficient in distributing food • If you can buy it – To end world hunger via the market • Must have widely dispersed purchasing power – Is a role for government to help disperse purchasing power to the poor • Through taxes, credits, land reforms

Kenya Market

http://bp0.blogger.com/_D16GLAdKeZI/RfsmAW yhTI/AAAAAAAAAQI/TmliZn1dSmA/s400/Market.jpg

Myth 8

Free Trade is the Answer

Soybean Harvest in Brazil

• Reality – In poorest countries • Exports boomed, hunger worsened – Brazilian soybeans • Feed cattle in Europe and Japan • Brazilian hunger grows – NAFTA: “race for the bottom” • Working people pitted against one another – 1 million jobs lost in U.S.

– 1.3 million jobs lost in Mexico http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/04/05/business/soy600.jpg

Myth 9

Too Hungry to Fight for Their Rights

Zapatistas in Mexico

• Reality – People do fight for their rights • Mexico • South Africa – People will feed themselves if allowed to – We need only remove the obstacles we have placed in their way • Large corporations • U.S. Government policies • World Bank and IMF http://angrywhitekid.blogs.com/weblog/images/ezln_campaign.jpg

Myth 10

More U.S. Aid Will Help the Hungry

http://www.bread.org/assets/images/learn/food-aid.jpg

• Reality: – Most U.S. Aid works directly against the hungry • Aid used to – Impose free trade – Promote exports – Provide arms – Emergency humanitarian Aid • Only 8% of total • Undercuts grain production in receiving country • Benefits U.S. Grain companies • Little reaches the poor – Best Aid: relieve Debt burden

Myth 11

We Benefit from Their Poverty • Reality:

– Continued world poverty and hunger • is a threat to American – Jobs, wages – Working conditions – Helping free others from oppression • Helps free us too

Sweat Shop in India

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/clipart/jpeg/IndiaLarge/sweatshop_mumbai.jpeg

Myth 12

Curtail Freedom to End Hunger?

• Reality: – Civil liberties • Not threatened by ending hunger – Economic security for all • Guarantees liberty • Consistent with our nation’s founding vision • Important for ending hunger – Right to unlimited accumulation of wealth?

• Not compatible with ending hunger • Contributes to inequity – Unjust http://k43.pbase.com/u36/jwalk/large/23732152.mansion.jpg