A Speech By Frances Moore Lappe

by: Jill Richardson

Tue Apr 21, 2009 at 03:05:32 AM PDT

She begins with a basic premise: That the world grows enough to feed everybody and yet many people go hungry. And - as I have been shouting about on this blog - she points out the inaccurate frame we often use to look at hunger: scarcity. And as long as we're focused on scarcity, the answer will always be "grow more." But what happens when we recognize that we already HAVE enough and the solution to hunger is already fully within our grasp? Well... the Powers That Be don't like to talk about that. Because it means they'll have to share.

As Frances Moore Lappe points out, we are each capable of atrocities like those committed at Abu Ghraib, and we are also capable of empathy and sharing! In fact, she said, the parts of our brain that our active while we cooperate with others are similar to those active while we eat chocolate. So if cooperating is as pleasing to us as eating chocolate, how do we set up our society in a way to engage THAT part of our brain instead of the selfish, miserly parts of us that don't mind letting others starve?

Who's Who in the Fight Against Global Hunger

by: Jill Richardson

Sat Apr 11, 2009 at 15:38:51 PM PDT

Also - about the question the Monsanto employees raised about how their company stood to profit from this bill. While the bill specifically does not SAY that any money will go to Monsanto, the Chicago Council's plan calls for USAID to take the lead on global hunger and mentions public-private partnerships. Monsanto is already involved in one such public-private partnership with USAID in Kenya. So it's not too much of a stretch to imagine they would be included in whatever may come of this bill.

The Bad Guys' Plan to Feed the Hungry

by: Jill Richardson

Thu Apr 09, 2009 at 20:00:00 PM PDT

As predicted, the executive summary began by calling for a second Green Revolution. (If you're unfamiliar with the first Green Revolution, it was the export of our pesticides, fertilizer, and unsustainable agriculture techniques to the developing world... nothing "green" about it.)

The source of these problems is not fluctuating food prices on the world market, but low productivity on the farm. The production growth needed will have to come from improved farm policies, technologies, and techniques, including those that address the effects of  climate change. - Chicago Council report, p. 16

If you read that paragraph you will see that the Chicago Council's overall plan will all aim to increase crop yields in the developing world. I DO agree that helping poor farmers improve agricultural techniques is a good idea. I DON'T agree that pesticides & fertilizers are the way to do it. I don't know enough about Africa to know whether or not their problem is truly crop yields.

I also think that more besides increased yields is needed. Think about all of the support our society & government provides here in the U.S. We have paved roads all over the country, everyone can be plugged into the electric grid, phone lines, and internet. We have a working court system. We have police and fire departments. Everyone can have a free education K-12. We have clean water. We're not living in a war zone either, and while our government is corrupt in some ways, it's pretty darn good in comparison to places like Sudan. I'm not suggesting that the solution for poor African farmers is broadband internet, but I do think it's important to take into account what kind of support structures developing countries' governments can put into place to help their people.