Blog for a Better World

Global Power Centers, while trying to develop policies to alleviate common global problems, are actually acerbating the problem of world hunger.  For example, while promoting agrofuels under the guise of environmental protection (through the replacement of fossil fuels) and the green label of “bio” fuels, millions of hectares of land are being turned over to the production of food for automobiles.  Basic food crops like corn are no longer being raised to feed humans, but instead to produce ethanol.  In addition, lands that once produced food have been taken over by sugarcane or soybean monocultures to produce agrofuels. In both cases, the result is a dwindling supply of foodstuffs, leading to soaring prices; and presents a lack of access to food among the poorest and most vulnerable.  The only thing that world governments have succeeded in “developing” is profits of large transnational corporations, at the expense of human hunger and environmental destruction.  

One problem behind world hunger is that many developing countries, where hunger is most severe, owe hundreds of billions of dollars in debt to many of the developed countries, thus money governments should be investing in their local region gets spent on repaying the debt instead.  Negotiations are underway to pressure governments from developing nations to cancel the debt owed by these less developed countries.  Another factor behind world hunger is the fact that most food is produced in developing nations.  Because of this, the huge cost of packaging, transporting and distributing the food increases the cost of food exorbitantly.  When food can be produced in greater quantities more efficiently in areas geographically closer to where it is needed, costs for this food are reduced. When food costs less, more people can buy sufficient amounts to feed themselves and their families.

Most of the worlds food come from only small percentage of ariable land. And in places like Africa, the farmers working these lands get very in return for trying to feed the world. A couple of days ago the BBC listed a report warning that if more investment is not put into educating and training the worlds farmers than very soon an epidemic of hung.er will emcompass much of the developing world. The report suggested if we don´t reward the custodians of the land, more workers will head to urbanized areas leading to further problems with the world food supply

Are we doing enough to end world hunger?  Should we end it at all?  When animals outnumber the food supply nature causes some to die of hunger.  By preventing world hunger are we causing more problems down the line?  If we should stop world hunger are we doing enough?  Are some of these charities taking too much of the pie before the food and money gets to the poor?