Hungering for a True Thanksgiving

[hsteele]

Hungering for a True Thanksgiving

Posted on Nov 17, 2009

By Amy Goodman

"In the next 60 seconds, 10 children will die of hunger," says a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) online video. It continues, "For the first time in humanity, over 1 billion people are chronically hungry."

The WFP launched the Billion for a Billion campaign this week, urging the 1 billion people who use the Internet to help the billion who are hungry. But if you think that hunger is far from our shores, here is some food for thought ... and action: The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report Monday stating that in 2008 one in six households in the U.S. was "food insecure," the highest number since the figures were first gathered in 1995.

Economist Raj Patel, author of "Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World's Food System," told me he was "gobsmacked" by the U.S. hunger numbers, which he finds appalling: "The reason that we have this huge increase in hunger in the United States, as around the world, isn't because there isn't enough food around. Actually, we produced a pretty reliable solid crop last year. ... The reason people go hungry is because of poverty."

In addition to the online campaign, the United Nations is hosting the World Summit on Food Security in Rome this week, hoping to unite world leaders on the cause of eliminating hunger. Patel remarked on the U.N. summit, "They're making all the right sounds about hunger around the world, but as some of the activists outside that summit are saying, poor people can't eat promises."

Almost 700 people from 93 countries, many of whom are small-scale food producers, have gathered outside the U.N. summit. They are there in behalf of the People's Food Sovereignty Forum, and they are pushing for small-scale, organic, sustainable food-sovereignty and food-security programs, as opposed to large-scale agribusiness with its dependence on genetically modified organisms and chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Michelle Obama said last March when planting the White House's organic kitchen garden, "It is so important for them [children] to get regular fruits and vegetables in their diets, because it does have nutrients, it does make you strong, it is all brain food." The first lady of the U.S. made the point that a homegrown, organic garden is a sustainable and affordable way to strengthen family food security.

This has led some to wonder, then, why her husband has appointed Islam Siddiqui to be the U.S. chief agricultural negotiator. Siddiqui is currently vice president for science and regulatory affairs for CropLife America, the main pesticide industry trade association. According to the Pesticide Action Network of North America, "This position will enable him to keep pushing chemical pesticides, inappropriate biotechnologies, and unfair trade arrangements on nations that do not want and can least afford them." It was CropLife's mid-America division that circulated an e-mail to industry members after Michelle Obama's garden announcement, saying, "While a garden is a great idea, the thought of it being organic made Janet Braun, CropLife Ambassador Coordinator, and I shudder."

Jacques Diouf, director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, engaged in a 24-hour hunger strike over the weekend, before the food security summit kicked off. He said in a statement, "We have the technical means and the resources to eradicate hunger from the world so it is now a matter of political will, and political will is influenced by public opinion." Diouf has estimated that it would take $44 billion per year to end hunger globally, compared with the less than $8 billion pledged recently to that goal. Juxtapose those numbers with the amount being spent by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the U.S. has spent on average about $265 million per day in Afghanistan since the invasion of that country in 2001 (which is a much lower estimate than that provided by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and others). Even at that rate, five months of military spending by the U.S. would meet Diouf's goal, and that would be if the U.S. were the sole contributor.

Consider pausing this Thanksgiving, which for many in the U.S. is a major feast, to reflect on the 10 children who die of hunger every minute, and how your elected officials are spending hundreds of billions in public funds on war.
 
Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.
 
Amy Goodman is the host of "Democracy Now!," a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 800 stations in North America. She is the author of "Breaking the Sound Barrier," recently released in paperback.

© 2009 Amy Goodman

Distributed by King Features Syndicate

[mistynights234]

Its horrible and just totally blows my mind that anyone in this country EVER goes to bed hungry. Its just not homeless people either.  Alot of times free breakfast and lunch at school is all kids get.  Why is this?  In this country feeding so many other countries?  I will honestly say I do not do enough.........do you?  

[norwegianwood]

1) THIS

 

Quote:

Almost 700 people from 93 countries, many of whom are small-scale food producers, have gathered outside the U.N. summit. They are there in behalf of the People's Food Sovereignty Forum, and they are pushing for small-scale, organic, sustainable food-sovereignty and food-security programs, as opposed to large-scale agribusiness with its dependence on genetically modified organisms and chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

 

is evidence of the 'real' agenda of these people..and it's not hunger but wiping out the more able corporations in preference for the locally grown...i.e. anti corporation, nothing to do with hunger at all. NO evidence that genetically altered food is either bad or less quality, and NO evidence but pseudo science and NGO driven politically motivated organization's claims the pesitcides--which actually insure there is MORE food than less--is connected REMOTELY to the POVERTY that is at the root of the hunger.

2) Interjecting what the US spends on military ventures is non germane to the topic as well. In addition, I note that it presupposes that if we just spent that money and fed these people that the problem goes away. HOW simplistic! Will they not STILL be poor? Will they not get hungry again in 7-10 hours? Pathetic.

I am ALL for looking into measures to help feed people...investments in those countries that will pull them out of poverty by providing them with jobs and an economy AT ALL will do more than ANY UN run anything. They've failed at EVERY program they've ever headed up. Giving them MORE is throwing good money after bad. You don't just GIVE the food. IF you don't also do something to bring in jobs--which by the way the corporations are better funded and equipped to do than small, local, organic farmers--those people are still poor and still facing the ravages of poverty to include hunger. They live in countries with corrupt governments who steal MOST of what is donated through the UN anyway. I have a problem with stating a problem and then providing a bandaid idea and pejorative politically motivated crap about war and corporations in the mix. It is counterintuitive at best and just plain slimey at worst.

P

[tericared]

Quoting mistynights234:

Its horrible and just totally blows my mind that anyone in this country EVER goes to bed hungry. Its just not homeless people either.  Alot of times free breakfast and lunch at school is all kids get.  Why is this?  In this country feeding so many other countries?  I will honestly say I do not do enough.........do you?  

this....and I want to add...what I dont get is we grow and raise plenty of food,,,even here in the States...But most food is really beyond some peoples budget...doesnt make sense....I would love to be able to buy fresh fruits and veggies for my family to eat 2 or 3 times a day,,,but simply can not afford it....my girls do not go hungry but I do wish some things were more affordable to buy....

[Raintree]

Quoting norwegianwood:

1) THIS

Quote:

Almost 700 people from 93 countries, many of whom are small-scale food producers, have gathered outside the U.N. summit. They are there in behalf of the People's Food Sovereignty Forum, and they are pushing for small-scale, organic, sustainable food-sovereignty and food-security programs, as opposed to large-scale agribusiness with its dependence on genetically modified organisms and chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

is evidence of the 'real' agenda of these people..and it's not hunger but wiping out the more able corporations in preference for the locally grown...i.e. anti corporation, nothing to do with hunger at all. NO evidence that genetically altered food is either bad or less quality, and NO evidence but pseudo science and NGO driven politically motivated organization's claims the pesitcides--which actually insure there is MORE food than less--is connected REMOTELY to the POVERTY that is at the root of the hunger.

2) Interjecting what the US spends on military ventures is non germane to the topic as well. In addition, I note that it presupposes that if we just spent that money and fed these people that the problem goes away. HOW simplistic! Will they not STILL be poor? Will they not get hungry again in 7-10 hours? Pathetic.

I am ALL for looking into measures to help feed people...investments in those countries that will pull them out of poverty by providing them with jobs and an economy AT ALL will do more than ANY UN run anything. They've failed at EVERY program they've ever headed up. Giving them MORE is throwing good money after bad. You don't just GIVE the food. IF you don't also do something to bring in jobs--which by the way the corporations are better funded and equipped to do than small, local, organic farmers--those people are still poor and still facing the ravages of poverty to include hunger. They live in countries with corrupt governments who steal MOST of what is donated through the UN anyway. I have a problem with stating a problem and then providing a bandaid idea and pejorative politically motivated crap about war and corporations in the mix. It is counterintuitive at best and just plain slimey at worst.

P

Oh my god. Seriously, Pati? Organics and SELF sufficient farming are now 'agendas' to be abhorred because they might go against big ag? Really?

HOw about this. Big ag- with it's control on seed AND pesticide will bankrupt these farmers. They don't allow you to save your seed- you must rebuy every year or be willing to be sued- and some of the seeds won't grow past that year anyway. 

As for nutritional quality- we KNOW that organic is safer- just for lack of poisons- what's better- there ARE studies (probably 'pseudo science' to some) that have shown that organic foods are higher in vitamins and minerals- not to mention have better plant 'immune systems' than their conventionally grown counterparts.

I'm sure this article will be blown off for being 'biased' because of the word progress, even though it cites actual studies done that prove that some organic foods are superior in nutrient content.

Here's something. Big Ag wouldn't be attacked if they practiced anything resembling ethics in their business. Monsanto should NOT investigate farmers who's fields have been contaminated from a neighboring field for saving their OWN seen- then forcing them to destroy it in court, after they force the farmer to blow through his meagre savings fighting their nonsense.

[Grannygoli]

 

[greenlvnanna]

Thank you for this post, I have alot of people in my life who are or who have been without food.  I have also worked at trying to help these people through their poverty, what looks like a simple solution never is.  Humans are so damn stubborn and if you are really hungry its awfully hard to try and start a business venture or go to work when all you can think about is how am I gonna get food today?  So feeding someone one day isnt the answer, but neither is dishing them some money for growing their economy, its a mixture of both and for an extended period because going hungry is a trauma, it effects the health of the mind, body and soul. There needs to be time for the shock to settle, then healing, then educating.  This is why the answer is so hard.  To someone with a full belly and food in the fridge and enough nutrients flowing through their bodies the answer seems simple, get a job, or here take some money and start this business and you'll be fine, right?  But if you are depleted in nutrients, your babies are crying cuz their hungry and all you can think about is survival mode you do the only things you know how, and normally that is what is keeping you in poverty. 

Thanksgiving is a very special holiday and taking the time to be gracious for what you have is really important.  But to have a moment of silence for those that are not eating, or who are eating very little.  For people who are not in warm cozy homes with their loved ones and for kids out there on the street corners who will never have a chance to even experience the small joys that many of us take for granted.  I think I will bring that to our thanksgiving gathering this year. 

Thanks for the thought