Better World 2020

8/8/2019 Better World 2020

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International Food Policy Re search Institute20 33 K Stree t, NW

Wash ington, DC 2000 6 -1006 US ATelephone: 1-202- 8 6 2-5600

Fax: 1-20 2-467-44 39Email: [email protected] rg Web: www.i fpr i . o rg

August 20 01


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2020 Vision for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment is an initiative of the

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to develop a shared vision and

consensus for action on how to meet future world food needs while reducing poverty

and protecting the environment.

This booklet has been prepared for the IFPRI 2020 conference on Sustainable Food

Sec u r i ty For All By 2020, Bonn, Germany, September 4-6, 2001, sponsored by the German

F e d e ral Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the German

Foundation for International Development (DSE - ZEL) in co operation with the German

A ge n cy for Technical Cooperation (GTZ - BEAF); Aventi s CropScience; CA RE; Cargill Inc.;

Deutsche Welthungerhilfe; EuronAid; International Fund for Agricultural Development;

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (Danish Association for International Co-operation); Syngenta;

and World Vision International.

The 2020 Vision Initiative also gratefully acknowledges support from the following

donors: Canadian International Development Agency; Danish International Development

A g e n cy (DA NIDA); Instituto Nacional de Investigacin y Technologa Agraria y

Alimentaria (Spain); Rockefeller Foundation; Swedish International Development

C oo p e ration Agency (SI DA); and Swiss Agenc y for Development Cooperat ion (SDC ) .

IFPRIs mission is to identify and analyze alternative national and international strat e g i e s

and policies for meeting food needs of the developing world on a sustainable basis, with pa rticular emphasis on low-income countries, poor people, and sound management of

the natural res ource base t hat supports agri culture. I FPRI is one of 16 Futu re Harv e s t

centers and receives its principal funding from 58 governments, private foundations,

and international and regional organizations known as the Consultative Group on

International Agricultural Research.


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Fo re w o r d

What will it take to end hunger? This qu

the development communitys paradigm

decisions we are making, and ways in w

implications, what answers could memb

international conference on Sustainable

in September 2001, IFPRIs 2020 Vision

us in pictures and words how they saw o

a better world for all.

We thank the more than 600 youngsters

and essay competitions and shared their

personal commitment to making a better

The competitions and this booklet would

of Ebbe Schiler, working on this assign

(MS). Ebbe and dedicated staff at MS

with the logistics and implementation of

two panels of judges chose the winners.

and unstinting support in coordinating al

also grateful to Jenna Krys z czun for helpingactivity running smoothly.

This booklet contains the winning poster

We have included excerpts from other su

you to view and read the anxieties, aspir

Per Pinstrup-AndersenDirector General, IFPRI

The views expressed in this booklet by the contestantsdo not necessarily reflect those of IFPRI

or the cosponsoring or supporting organizations.

A Better World in 2020: Wake-Up Calls from the Next Genera t i o nCopyright 2001 International Food Po l i cy Rese arch Institute

Hunger will not take a day to end.

It is not going to end tomorrow or the day after.

And it is certainly not going to end

suddenly by itself,

for nothing good comes easy.

Baba A. Isabella

16 years old

Nalerigu, Ghana


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4

breadwinners of their nations. We should

and prestige back in agriculture, say our

Whether they are from developing or de

and food programs are vital ingredients

me ssage from all sides. But the real imp

credit, access to markets, infrastructure,

In short: Shift the priority towards agricu

One embarrassing message to affluent p

your plate with more than you can eat. N

remind you of your obligations to contrib

One hopeful message to the world comm

cooperation, and not least the United Na

u n d ertakings should know how much the

high are their ex p ecta ti ons .

Let us hope and work for a better wo

Ebbe SchilerChair of the poster and essay juries for t

Sharing their worries,Sharing their hopes

Read the inspiring texts over the next many pages, take a look at the vivid pictures accompanying

them. They all tell stories from a concerned young generation. None of them are advocating a

continuation of the current state of affairs which appears so often to be the attitude of a weary

and complacent world.

There are many indignant voices here, pointing to unfair distribution of wealth, welfare, opportunities,

and our daily bread. But they are also asking for change, from within deprived communities and from

a world rich enough in resources to give eve ryone a f air share.

Uppermost in the minds of virtually ev eryone speaking out here and in the many more contributions

not finding their way into this booklet is fear and anxiety about when war may erupt. Riots, uprisings,

and civil unrest are a scary reality in the regions of these youngsters. This does not, of course, reflect

the global situ ation, but it occ upies ev eryones mind: Work for peace, you who are in charge, these

voices are saying. In more cases than you might like to know, leaders are labeled rulers, and far too

oftenfor thei r or our comfort they are regarded as an elite not preoccupied with the welfare of

their people, but rather bent on accumulating personal wealth. We need honest folks (often understood

as women) at the helm for things to improve, according to the voices here.

So they also trust leaders to work for change: To be bold and shift priorities toward improvement of the

welfare of the poor, so that the poor can do more with their own plentiful human resources. Had theybeen in on the development jargon, the y would have talked of empow erme nt.

Most of the young people speaking their heart here are urban dwellers. And they understand perfectly

well that only if the quality of rural life is lifted, if facilities are brought there, will people want to

continue a productive life on t he land. So such a lift is necessa ry, because the farmers are the genuine

We must not perceive

hunger as a hopeless,

unsolvable dilemma.

Underneath all the

statistics, charts, and

data sheets are people.

They are people with

talents and abilities,

waiting for an

o p po rt u n i ty to really

live; people just like

you and me.

Micah Ballinger

16 years old

Midland, Virginia, USA

Callie Constable

16 years old

Midland, Virginia, USA


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PG

M

K

1

B

9

E


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Poster CompetitionRunner Up

Class 6c/sk

T i l st s ko l e

Tilst, Denmark

Portia hugged little Ezra to her limp wiHe lolled listless in her arms as she leant protect him from the harsh African sun. Tetched in her eve ry movement. When she rounsteadily to her feet, her hipbones protruagainst the top of her grimy brown skirt. Sbarely stand for the pangs of hunger that ocracks inside her, rising from the pit of hemaking her throat and her chest ache. S hethem. Shed grown accustomed. All her cfocused on the emaciated child that she hearms. He was eight years old but his shortand his swollen belly gave him the appear year-old. The tight black knots of hair on long turned to a rusty brown. Portia had nevethe word kwashiorkor before, but shed other infants around the squalid Nigerian with the same grotesque cartoon appearanwitnessed enough to know that every smile shbestowed on her flickering infant may wesalute. Yet the tenderness in the steadfast trained on him spoke volumes. It was cleaChinua Achebe had written the poem Reand Child it had been a tribute to this wo

From its lair, more than a million dime yet as close as a whisper, the creature admi st a rvation and suffering in the eyes of the mchild in much the same way as an artist sure y masterpiece. It smiled. Two impeccably ev po i nty teeth blinked in the pale light. The eThey glistened. The only word you could ua smile like that was radiant. However it w in the sense that it put you in mind of radia radiation for instance. You felt a need to sh from it for fear that its malice and its sadiswould sink beneath your own skin and corrThat something that emanated such evil cowas bad enough, that it could smile was un

8

My Vision of How to Make a Better


7/1810

the death of Mahatma Gandhi, J.F.K, Princthis story that occupied the front page of every nein ev ery country was to a great extent about

Yet, even though no one could pinpoinpoint of conten tion, it def initely was strann ewspaper, whether with perfect picture cblur of black and white, featured on its fropicture of a starving Nigerian mother and one noticed the world was abuzz with indSomething must be done! shouted one hThere are No Winners, yelled another. Fburning issue that had captured the world

was truly scorching and for once the snowthat followed was a good thing.

When the issue reached its peak everyone your average joe-on-the-street to the to mleaders had been touched by it. Its amazipower the media wields. A cause champiomedia is a cause that can spark world intecomment, and world support.

It started at the lowest level. Schools arworld started holding monthly drives. Theyso those parents wouldnt feel burdened. Ebrought in one can of tinned food eve ry monthsimple and effective. This food went to thepeople in their districts and neighborhoodsbegins at home. Then big companies starteinterest. Their ideas were both simple and

They offered to send a fixed amount of foostarving village or camp overseas in returnamount of empty tins and food wrappers rethem. It was a two-fold solution that encour ecycling and charity. Even movie stars andbegan jumping onto this worthy bandwagocharities that championed the war against sThey auctioned off autographed clothes anddonating all the proceeds to their chosen orwas a lengthy process but it paid off. Food was fl

Everything in the world has balance. The darkest night isfollowed by the brightest of days. The coldest winterarrives on the heels of the most scorching of summers.The food chain, the circle of life its essential for survival.But the wonderful thing about scales is that if they can betipped one way they can also be tipped the other. Even ina world gone wrong, when it seems as if all of creationhas gone and lost its senses and life stretches aheadresembling a minefield more than a box of chocolates,there is no such thing as complete darkness. It is said thatthe Creator sees every sparrow that falls. This is true.Being a firm advocate of free will, She doesnt always

intervene obviously. But like every competent parent,even Mother Nature knows when a little intervention isneeded to push things back onto the right track.

Picture the flattest, plainest stretch of grassy landscape you can imagine. Expansive and ruffled by only the slightest of breezes. Let it stretch unobstructed to the very horizon of your minds eye. This scenery is so unremarkablethat the words No comment would automatically spring into your mind if you were asked to describe it.

Under this place, at the very heart of the earth is wherethe controls exist. The sensitive controls that maintain the balance. Mother Natures automatic workshop, if youwill. When the creature smiled something here awoke.

From the core of the earth a point of light trav e l ed up towards the surface. It rose out of the eart h , growing in brightness. It throbbed with growing

i n t e n s i ty. If you were able to look at it youd be able to see that it wasnt just white light, but a mixture of colors that danced on its surface and radiated from itscore. Just when it seemed that it couldnt get any brighter it burst. The light streamed out, cuttingthrough the air around it, reaching over the dull landscape, encompassing the world in a protective net of light. Of course, youd only see the full effect of it if you were sitting on the moon. From your lunar seat youd see a network of light stretch over the earth like

a web until it seemed like the entire blue and green planet was caged under a radiating fish net. It seemed to lance through the stratosphere, beautiful beamscutting into the cold darkness of space. And then, just when it seemed as if it could get no brighter, it gently fell around the planet like a cocoon, so close and warmthat eventually it seemed to become absorbed into the seas and continents until the earth itself seemed to glow with an inner light. Sometimes it takes no morethan a mothers hug to heal all wounds.

Sometimes history is made in a single moment.Destinies are forged in a fateful second. Just as the web

had reached its brightest point a UN journalist coveringsome African war walked past a Nigerian refugee campon his way to his hotel. He was looking to finish off hisroll of film, one picture to go. As he passed the rows ofthe grubby makeshift tents he spied a mother cradling achild. It seemed to him that the child was reaching thefinal fatal stages of kwashiorkor and the mother wasalmost dead with exhaustion, but for some reason theghost of a smile on her lips as she spoke softly to herchild held a unique beauty. Without really thinking about ithe snapped the picture, capturing the rusty haired childand the tender gaunt mother on the end of the roll of film.The next day he put the developed photographs into anenvelope barely looking at the final picture and sentthem off to an American newspaper. The pictures werefor a political story, all of them featuring smiling politicians

and historical handshakes, all except the last one As the web covered the earth, the creatures smile froze. He sensed the change in the air in the same way that an antelope can sense a leopard hiding in the long

g rass. For a moment his scaly brow furrowed inconfusion. Then he looked again at the image of s t a rving people and wasted food and he rel axed. Thedie was cast, it was irreversible wasnt it?

The first sign of change came in the newspapers. Itwasnt exactly a phenomenon, it had happened before. For

The main problem

that developing

nations are

facing is that they

are not using their

money to the

benefit of the

poor people of

their nation.

Rifat Jabbar

G rade 10

Addis Ababa,

E t h i o p i a


8/1812

It is most surprising

how much money is wasted

on weaponsinstruments of

destructioneven when over

30 percent of the worlds

population live in abject

pov e rty (hunger). Why cant

we invest the money

for weapons in food

production? Must we live in the world thinking of

how to destroy one another?

Gadagbui Marshal

Nkwatia-Kwahu, Ghana

Poster CompetitionRunner Up

Class 2a

Hrup Centra l s ko l e

Sydals, Denmark


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paycheck. Reality lies in seeing faces twistricken grimace.

This is the bitter truth that I live with e ryis the bitter truth that I keep hoping to ch

There are things that we can negotiatecompromise. Food is not among them. It never will be. It is the nations lifeblood. food should be a driving priority f or ev ery couprides itself on a humane, just, and equitp olicy. And there lies the catch. For countPhilippines totally b ereft of funding, techhow, agro-ecological technology, and ma

for genuine food security is like chasing pthe mist. We cannot achieve this on our ocannot ensure, or even realize, a sustainabsecurity program without the help of the world. The disparity in the food supply band poor countries is but another testimodriving need for international cooperationosecurity must be the collective effort thatthe rest of humanity together.

This is not asking for a transient piece Every country in the world, every person ievery man and woman young or old, rialike can do so much to protect, ensurethe continuity of human existence throughfood security. How? For one, economicallypowerful countries like the United States, J

the UK, and many others could help facilimaximize information exchange among alcountries. This information exchange wouand disseminate crop and crop-based technwill solve location-specific problems in croThen, after the initial information exchangInternational Council for Food Security coorganized. This council would allocate funan international aid for countries who needin shifting their comprehensive agricultura

In the blink of an eye, the world hasbecome so much smaller with advancedtechnology. Communication is only afingerpoint away. In a matter of minutes,international transactions can be completedthrough electronic mail and cell phones.

Computer networks are democratizing accessto information. Airplanes and jetplanes aremaking next door neighbors of Asia andAfrica. Indeed, with so many sophisticatedtechnologies, worldwide linkage has become abyword. Time and space have collapsed. Bu tthe world sti ll starv e s .

I speak as a Filipino youth with myhistoric burden of poverty and want. I live

life ev e ryday in candid black and white. While I eat three square meals a day, manyfamilies lie huddled together on torn-wovenmats, sleeping away their pangs of hunger.On my way to school everyday, I seebarefoot, filthy street kids rummaging inside

the garbage can for morsels of food bitsand pieces of scraps that even the dogswont eat. On the papers, on radios, andeven on their national TV, I hear of and seefarmers who, having paid for their land insweat and watered it with blood, nowbemoan of lands made barren by systematicexploitation and improper cultivation.Po verty is stamped on ev e ry toiling mans

Essay Competition Runner Up

Achinette Joy B. Villamor

18 years old

Cebu City, Philippines

14

Poster by

Julie Lund Zatiri

Class 3

Ho pt r u p s ko l e

Haderslev, Denmark

Time and Space Have Collapsed


10/18

Poster by

Class 5b

GHS August-Macke-Schule

Bonn, Germany

16

La Nina

Over the horizonThe sun rises withLight creepingOver the desolate bare landR evealing nothingBut the horrors of the landThe sky isStill as naked as eve r

The wind howlsThrough the dry baobab trees

The once green landN ow bare and crackedSlowly the village wakesTo face the new day

A hunter sitsIn the shadow of a rockA farmer leansOn the thatched house With his jembe in handA mother slowly rocksHer dying baby

Th ey cast their eye s to the sky Why are the gods punishing us?A far distance offThe cries are heard

Yes, yes, this must be doneThe gods must be pleasedBony as it may beThe goat must be sacri fic ed

The village gathersAround the alterSurely this will do it

Unflinching Eyes I see the dusty ground

Soil not fertile, people not fed I pass them by without a sound

Wondering what right might be said

What right might be done For the hunger, the poverty

which is their life If only I could help out at least one

Fill their mouth and ease their strife

And then I am lost in the unflinchingeyes of a starving boy

And realize he is my age and he

could have been me I could have been him, a

malnourished boy His suffering: even more than

I could bear to see

And eight-hundred million just like him

Around the globe, theyre starved tothe bone

All the while their visions grow dimWhat hope do they have when li ttle

e f f o rt is shown

J ordana Re i m

17 years old

Skillman, New Jersey, USA


11/18

I am a female student at Mettu highschool in Ilubabor administrative zone. Thezone is one of the 12 zones of the Oromiaregional states, which is located insouthwestern Ethiopia.

It consists of largely undulatinghighlands and receives rainfall for most of

the months of the year. Therefore it is thewettest part of the country.Its total population is almost one million,

and its area is 1.6 million hectares. From this,26.1 percent is forest land and 28.8 percentis cultivated land. The major crops are maize,sorghum, and teff. There is also vast area ofcoffee and one private tea plantation. The

climate is good for livestock development. Inmy zone, most of the farm is ploughed byox or hoed by using family labor. In this andother farm activities women have the lionsshare of labor.

From the total population of the zone,90.7 percent live in rural areas. From this

population 47.1 percent are female.

The food situation of the zone and its constraints

Most of the population in my area andcount ry lives in rural areas. They are almostall farmers, except a small numberof handicraftsmen.


Medhanit Adamu Abebe

16 years old

Mettu, Ethiopia

These farmer s are very poor. Fo rty pof the households in the zone dont haveto plough their farm. On top of this, theyold and backward traditional farm tools implements to plough their field.

Their method of farming is cultural (trAll of the family members participate inBut most of the farming activities are dfemale members of the family. Their hars t crops are stored in backward stores. Motheir crops are lost by different kinds oflike rats, weevils, etc Monkeys and ap

other major problems of poor farmers thsnatch their crops from the field. Most ofamily members, including children wasof their time in protecting the field cropthese wild pests.

Children and young girls like me are the ones that look after the cattle. They their families in collecting firewood andwat e r. They help their mother. Because othey could not go to school. They remaiuneducated like their families. Due to thsame backward process of production co

In general, it is this poor farmer and family that produce the food that we eatthe food produced is not enough for the year for his family. Three to four monththe year, especially during rainy seasonsface shortage of food or are hungry. Thegovernment starts to deliver food. It givseed also. Due to this condition some offriends, especially girls, quit their class stop from going to school because they nothing to eat, to wear or to buy pen andpencils. Every year more people are bor

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Poster by

Astrid K. Henningsen

Class 3

H o p t r u p s ko l e

Haderslev, Denmark

My Vision for Ending Hunger


12/18

20

On the other hand, the government mustallocate enough of its budget to change thebackward economy of the rural area. The livingstandard of farmers should be changed. Wehave to guarantee to increase their income.They have to be competent in the market tosell their product.

At the same time, new improved technologieslike improved farming tools should reach thepoor farmer. Agricultural research and exte n sionmust be strengthened. Gradually, new information,communication, and technology should reach the

rural area where our food is produced. These allincrease the productivity of the farmer.

On the other hand, we have to learn fromtraditional agriculture, because it has long years and vast experience. We have to give ourears to what the poor farmer says about farming. We have to respect his indigenous practicalk n owledge. We have to gr adually teach himabout the new technologies. The farmer hasto participate in changing his farming systemand his living condition.

In line with these measures, sustainable literacycampaigns should be carried out in rural areas.Schools should be opened for children and adults. We have to dig wells and develop streams forclean and safe drinking water. And we have toexpand and develop other social services likeclinics for man and his livestock. Infrastructureshould be built to resolve the problem of accessto market. Poor people should get credit to buyfarming animals, improved seeds, and tools.Therefore, rural credit institutions should beestablished and strengthened. The farmer shouldbe advised to use compost and green manure

rather than chemical fertilizers because theircost is increasing eve ry year and it is also goodfor health and doesnt bring environmentalpollution (problems).

Farmers products should get appropriatemarkets. Quantity and quality of products shouldincrease to get into markets.

Another major point that should get attentionis that women farmers should be trained. Theyshould get credit. They should get land, ox, andother farm tools. Because they are the ones thatproduce the food we eat.

Unless we give due attention to WOMENwe cant end hunger and finally win over povertyin my country or in Africa as a whole. At all level s ,women must be leaders like men. Now mostleaders are men in my area. Women should begiven the chance to lead this society at all levelsof leadership. Therefore, we have to educate young girls in academics, leadership, production,management, etc. Special emphasis or assistanceshould be given to young rural girls to continuetheir education.

Above all, to produce more food, to endhunger, and to alleviate poverty, the poorfarmer, the sole producer of our food, must beh ea lt h y. HI V / AIDS is killing my friends, theenergetic and productive generation of myco u n try and planet. Ethiopia is third in Africain the spread of HI V / AIDS. We have to stopthis catastrophe.

All rich countries, international organizations,financial institutions, NGOs, individuals, etc.,should unite to form partnerships and worktogether to fight hunger and poverty from theface of this planet. Poor developing countries

should be assisted in getting additionald evelopment aid and in canceling their dFinally, we have to push on sustainable ragricultural development endeavors that forget the development of industry. As asocioeconomic development and growthour main objective in this new millenniu

If we take the above-mentioned measothers which I didnt mention here, I amenough that hunger will perish f orever awill be reduced in considerable amount oeradicated in a few years time.

This is a shortened and edited version of the submi

The editing was minor, preserving tone and meanin

Give the farmer the

requisite resources and

su p p o rt, and hunger

will be abolished and

ba n i s h ed .

Sedina Nukun u

Glove r -Ta y

16 years old

Cape Coast, Ghana

A hungry face who has cried for food

Will always remember people who have

Touched their lives, and if you dont,

Not to worry, nothing bad will happen

To you; you would just miss out on the

O p po rt u n i ty to brighten someones day

Simarsha Moodley

Class 11 A

Durban, South Africa


13/18

A StorySipho clutched his stomach, he instinctively

k new what it was it was hunger. The six- year-old boy remembered the last time hehad a meal. It was last night and things beganto look bad, as it was slowly becomingnoon. He immediately fixed his eyes towa r dsan empty bowl inside the corner of the smallshack; it just made him hungrier. Sipho hadn ow been living alon e for three years. Hismother, Grace had died of starvation andev e ry time Sipho asked someone about hisfather they would just ignore little Sipho.Because Sipho slept on the floor, things gotvery bad. It was better during summer but itwas worse in the winter season. Cold, freezingdraughts blew across the floor all night long.Sometimes his neighbor, aunt Thandi went

without her own share of food just so thatSipho could have enough to eat but it stillwasnt nearly enough for a growing boy.

Little Sipho got out of the little woodenshack, and as he stood outside, the sharp,piercing suns rays banged into his eyes. Hegazed at the long queue of wooden and somemud houses in the squatter camp. Aunt Thandiwas sitting outside her small shack when Sipho

arrived. Aunt Thandi pointed to a space rightbeside her. Sipho greeted the old women byshaking hands, then sat down cross-legged.You know my son, in my days no one starvedin this village. Your mother, Oh! She was agood woman. She worked for an old womenin the city and everyday she would returnfrom work with a lot of plastic bags containingfood, she would give me half of that food.

22

Gogo Thandi, then who was my father?Tears began to run down Aunth Thandi

He was no good, you dont want to know him! The tone of her voice was extremelof anger. James, that was his name, Auntwo deep breaths, James left you and Grawere about a year old. He married a townsthe city after he left; your mother died of a

Sipho was so consumed by Aunt Thanddidnt notice that she was finished. Then suburst into tears, Aunt Thandi tried to comSipho cried all day long. He also ended up

night at Aunt Thandis house. In the middSipho woke up and went to aunt Thandi. Hher body. When she woke up Sipho whispears, Gogo, I swear that by this time nexthis village will starve. With that Sipho webut Aunt Thandi was still amazed on how to wake up from his sleep, it was as if somdream told him what to sa y.

That morning Auntie Thandi cooked sowhich Sipho and Auntie ate for breakfast. finished breakfast he took a little journey utree just at the edge of the village. At the told man wearing blue dirty o veralls sleepiupwards. Simpho simply sat there and waiwhen the old man woke up, he jumped up dumb stricken to see Sipho sitting next to

man stood up and his tall thin body seemewas going to topple over. When did you gThe old man asked. Sipho looked amazed,this man knew he was Sipho. I got here aand how did you know my name?

Thats a long story, my son, the old grumpily but then he managed to sit dowk now, I was a popular man in your villagewas a farmer, I farmed for the villagers fo


Lungisa Fortune Mngadi

17 years old

Winklespruit, South Africa

Poster by

Phineas Munedzimwe

Lenticus Jambawo

Nigel Madzikatire

Esther Nduru

Muchineripi Nyabadza

Judith Masvina

Beauty Mubariri

Kudzai Ta hw a

Kudakwashe JenaClass 5 Gold

Tapfuma Primary School

Z a m b i a


14/18

24

how they came up with the plan to farm. When Sipho was finished, Aunt Thandis eyes

lightened up at the idea and then through all thenight they planned and came up with differentstrategies. They were the first people to wake up inthe village the following morning. The old womenand Sipho had spread the news swiftly throughoutthe village. Aunt Thandie had other ideas: she justwanted to meet Malume so they could discuss theplan. Malume was nowhere to be seen.

Where could he be Gogo? Sipho asked AuntThandi. I think Ive got a good idea where he went

off to, answered Aunt Thandi. The village spent therest of the day waiting for Malume. Aunt Thandi toldthe village people that Malume had gone to the city tocollect some old vegetables and seeds. Now, becausethere was no electricity in the village, it was dark inthe night. So the village people went to go to sleepbut before anyone stood up to leave, Malumeemerged from the street coming from the city pushingin front of him a three-wheeled trolley. Suddenly aman from the crowd raised up his shovel andshouted: Bring back the old days, Malume!

The whole village cheered along and thankedMalume for his work. When the village people weregone, Aunt Thandi approached Malume. The childrenmiss you in the village and I still miss you. With that shegently grabbed his hand and they all walked hand in

hand laughing and joking all the way. The following dayevery member of the community got down to work, theyformed a large piece of land and then started plantinga variety of vegetables. When they finished planting thevegetables, they gave a loud cheer, which was going tobe their symbol of ending poverty and hunger.

Four months passed by and things got really worse.There had been freezing gales that had blown for days.Hes a brave young man, said Malume to Aunty

Thandi, he deserves better. The skin on Siphos facebecame drawn over the cheeks so that you could seethe shape of the bones.

One freezing morning Siphos stomach began to acheso much he felt he could no longer go on. Very calmlyhe got up from his blankets and out of the house. Hesneaked his way until he reached the farm. Then hes tarted digging and digging until a large sweet potatoemerged. Sipho could not believe his luck, the more hedug, the more sweet potatoes he found. And withouthesitation Sipho filled a whole bag full of sweet potatoes.

That morning the whole village was woken up by

Siphos screaming and shouting Sekumilile!Sekumilile! which means, It has grown, it hasgrown. The whole village was now over the moonwith joy. Sipho ran until he was stopped by one ofhis neighbors. You know something, said the lady,your village is awfully proud and grateful to you.Thank you, Sipho said, and off he went again. Hef l ew past every shack, waved at everyone and sa ngout, No more hunger, no more hunger. Finally hereached Aunty Thandis home and burst into thehouse shouting Gogo! Gogo! Aunt Thandi was inthe backyard with Malume. Gogo, Malume! Thevegetables have grown. There was a long silence; noone spoke for about 10 seconds. Then very calmlywith wide grins spreading across their faces, they yelled Hoooooray! and Malumes tall body rose up

and made one unbelievable jump of victory.Life changed drastically for the village people. This

idea was also spread all over the world. Peo plest arted to plant old vegetable seeds, and thenp ov e rty and hunger bega n to f ade and disa pp e aruntil there was virtually nothing that remindedpeople of hunger.

This is a shortened and edited version of the submitted story.

The editing was minor, preserving tone and meaning.


15/18

There comes a time when we need a certain call

When the world must cometogether as one

There are people dyingOh, and its time to lend a hand

to lifeThe greatest gift of all.

We Are t he Wo r l d Do these words sound familiar? Let me

remind you. When Sahelian countries raninto times of drought in the early 1970sand when Ethiopia broke beneath theweight of a severe drought and famine, itwas said that artists , politicians, sport sm enand journalists came together and did what

was described as one of the greatestmoments of human solidarity ev er. CNNsent the situation around the globe. It wasat this time that the unforgettable songs Feed the World by Bob Ge ldof andothers, as well as We are the World byMichael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevi e Wonder, Dionne Warwick, and others,were released. If there ever was a timewhen the power of music was manifest,this would be an example. Thesemusicians spoke to the spirits of many andaid was freely sent to the Ethiopians.

Today, situations like these or the thought

26

of hunger on the other side of the globe mchord in us. It has become common-placethough it is, the constant news reports of experiencing hunger have become somethieveryday, a part of our normal lives. But holack of a basic need of life such as food bymillion come to take a comfortable seat inSomehow we seem to have forgotten that wfinished fighting the battle and have left our beings to fight alone the battle of hunger.like Sudan and North Korea, the battle is

Naturally, all eyes are on the agricult

when it comes to such matters. Several rexplain the situation but in the same veireasons have possible solutions.

Political will is lacking especially in de l opcountries when it comes to the issue of hthe development of the agricultural sectothe people and the leaders of the affectedwant to do? What are their priorities? Wphilosophies? And what is their ethic? Ifthemselves cannot give agriculture the nrecognition then they will wallow in thisGod knows when. Developed nations wotalk about hunger when they meet theprobably discuss terrorism, information tworld economic development These arissues that catch their eye. The hunger of

hundred million is not the first to be satitheir scale of preference. So even when idiscussed among developing nations, thenever turned into actions. If the political the concerned nations will be ready to mthe arena where actions are perf ormedsynonymously with words then headwaydefinitely be made towards the fight aga

Essay CompetitionRunner Up

Nana Yaa Gyau Dodi

17 years old

Tema, Ghana

Poster by

Daniela Pa pe

Lilli Klos

Jessica Pro sc h

Helene Grzen

Class 7c

G e me i n s ha f t s -

Hau pt s c h u l e

Lo h ma r

Ge r m a n y

How Can We End Hunger in the Wo r l d ?


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28

Jacques Diouf, describes as agricultural lottery muststop. When it rains there is a bumper harvest butwhen it does not, there is hunger. Of course therewill be nothing to harvest if the water supply to farmsis not efficiently controlled. Statistics show that Africafor example has only seven percent of its arable landunder water control. At this point, one is tempted toask what is happening to the other ninety threepercent? Your guess is right it is under no control.No effort would be too small. Farmers should beginto manage their water resources on their farms.

Farmers should be open to new plant varieties,

integrated systems of plant nutrition, including bothorganic and inorganic fertilizer, and pest controlmethods that use less pesticides. The invention ofsome genetically modified crops still await approvaland investigations into their effects on humanhealth and their ability to thrive in an environmentother than the confines of the laboratories in whicht hey were planted. While it will not be tangible tototally dismiss this new technology as an answer tothe hunger conundrum, considering how little isknown about it, it would also be blind on our partto embrace it. But if they are ever fully proved tobe safe, then they could also serve the purpose ofeliminating hunger in the world.

Unrestrained population increase is seen as amajor crisis facing mankind today. In effect,

population growth is regarded as a principal causeof hunger in the world especially in areas such asAfrica and Asia. In countries or regions where thepopulation size is seen as an existing or potentialproblem, the primary objective of any strategy tolimit its further growth must deal not only with thepopulation variable per se but also with theunderlying social and economic conditions.

Problems such as absolute poverty, grossinequality, widespread unemployment (especiallyamong females), and limited female access toeducation need to be given high priority.

Tra n sp o rt infrastructur e is a chief obstacle ind eveloping countries stifling t he free flow of goodsfrom farms to the market. Roads are not welld eveloped and because of this entire har vests havebeen known to go to waste for lack of adequatestorage and tr ansport facilities. Tr ans p ort systemsmust be improved with funding from both internaland external sources.

Another invisible yet highly contributive factor tohunger is conflicts. Although it is not experienced inev e ry part of the world, it also bears a hand in thebattle for food. Where there are conflicts, farmerswill not stay on their farms. They will either fight orrun away from the fight. Consequently, wars robnations of the little resources they have. They areused to purchase arms to accelerate the death ofthe human race already dying of hunger instead ofinvesting them in socioeconomic deve l o pme n t.

There must be an outcry for peace by all. Theroot causes of these wars must be examined is itjust an inordinate thirst for power, a simple trivialmatter which could have been resolved amicably?

The peacekeeping activities of the UnitedNations should continue and intensify and member

countries continue to give their support .People should be conscientized about the

i m p ortance of peace and the effects of conflictsbefore they occur. An effective tool for this wouldbe the print and electronic media. Showing quotesand movies preaching peace during short breakson television and in newspapers would be a smallbut positive step in the right direction. We should

the problem with hunger

in the world is that the

youth have classified

farming as the old mans

job or as the poor mans

job... We must all try to

convince and influence the

youth to join theagriculture sector

ot h e rwise there will be

a time when the old

farmers will start

resting (dying) and

there will be more

severe hunger than

what is going!

Quainoo Moses

O su - Ac c ra, Ghanaremember that we are dealing with humbeings and human beings are a product owhat they see and hear. So by feeding pimages and messages into the subconsciminds of people we would indirectly be

promoting peace.True, there are many other problems iworld that need attention such as AIDS,co n se rvation of our e nvironment, and enpeace but to quote FAO President JacqueDiouf, but who can deny for instancepeace is in jeopardy in a context when phave nothing to lose? People can go to le n gths just t o get food. It is good that


17/18

30

Conventional ways of thinking about hunger is tha

mouths to feed is absolutely inaccurate. The world

human beings whose creativity and productivity m

need to bring their own hunger to an end. Only by

can a society be created that is truly free from hung

Deepthi Raj

15 years old

Mombasa, Ke n y a

Poster by

Class 5a

Hrup Centra l s k o l e

Sydals, Denmark

Like the most commonly known slogan for water, Make every drop count, there has to be a Make every slice count

campaign for hunger as well. The campaign will teach communities the importance of not wasting food.

We may never know when the rocket of hunger will land; maybe it will land in our area someday and we will expect

charity from fellow citizens so we have to start now and apply the charity begins at home campaign in our daily lives.

Radebe N. Xoliswa

Class 11 B

Verulam, South Africa


18/18

I believe that if you care about someone or something you give it what it takes to help it, you dont wait to see if some-

body else cares too. Some people wont help because they say, What will the government do? Its not our job to help

these people. This is what most people say. They dont see that they have an important role too. Its not just for the gov-

ernment, its everybodys matter. But people seem not to understand. It really does hurt my heart to actually see someone

begging in the street, and I see this every day. The people just walk past him, saying they dont have money to waste.

People need to wake up to be reminded that in issues like this, you dont have to be told. Its a matter of thinking for

yourself and doing, because whatever help they could give, even if its a little bit, it really does make a difference.

What I think should be done is for the people to stop asking, WHAT ARE WE TO DO? But to ask themselves, WHAT

HAVE WE DO NE TO HELP? and not worry about what other people are doing, but to actually worry about their own

contribution to this.

Zanele Ngubane

16 years old

Verulam, South Africa

Poster by

Kyle Ng

Class 4f

Jonathan Hudson

Class 4e

West Nyack Elementary School

West Nyack, New York, USA

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Better World 2020

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