World Hunger 12 Myths
-
Upload
kukuman1234 -
Category
Documents
-
view
223 -
download
0
Transcript of World Hunger 12 Myths
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
1/13
World Hunger 12 Myths
Food First
https://commerce12.pair.com/~pront011/images/pubs/books/wohuco.jpg
Text extracted from 12
Myths about Hungerhttp://www.foodfirst.org/12myths
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
2/13
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
https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0618/5b26d95e411ae/5b26d95fc5f80.jpg
Vietnam food market
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
3/13
Myth 2
Nature is to Blame for Famine
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
Famine in Ethiopia
http://www.wfp.org/newsroom/img/indepth/0505_poss-famine-insurance.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
4/13
Myth 3
Too Many People
Reality:
World is undergoingdemographic transition
Birth rates dropping due todecline in death rates
No direct correlation betweenpopulation and hunger
Hunger in Nigeria
Sparsely populated
Wealth in Netherlands
Densely populated Population growth due to
poverty and inequity
Peoples lives must improvebefore birth rates drop
http://www.bvallc.com/pensionblog/uploaded_images/Crowd-702052.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
5/13
Myth 4
The Environment vs. More Food?
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
Deforestation in Brazil for hardwoods
http://www.realestatetwincities.net/wp-
content/uploads/2007/10/istock_000003249271devastation480x319.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
6/13
Myth 5
The Green Revolution is the Answer
Reality:
Green Revolution:
Huge production advanceswith improved seeds
But economic power
Still concentrated in hands ofa few
Poor cannot afford to buygrain
Hunger persists while grain
exports have increased India
Mexico
Philippines
https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0618/5b26d95e411ae/5b26d96196f90.jpg
Father of the Green Revolution
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
7/13
Myth 6
We Need Large Farms
Reality:
Large landowners control bestland
Often leave much of it idle
Often inefficiently farmed bytenet farmers
No incentive
Small farmers
4-5 X output/acre
Work more intensively
Land Reform Distributes land to small
farmers
Successful in raising yields
Bolivian Farmer
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/images/wsci_01_img0012.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
8/13
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 themarket
Must have widely dispersed
purchasing power
Is a role for government to
help disperse purchasingpower to the poor
Through taxes, credits, land
reforms
http://bp0.blogger.com/_D16GLAdKeZI/RfsmAW-
yhTI/AAAAAAAAAQI/TmliZn1dSmA/s400/Market.jpg
Kenya Market
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
9/13
Myth 8
Free Trade is the Answer
Reality In poorest countries
Exports boomed, hungerworsened
Brazilian soybeans
Feed cattle in Europe andJapan
Brazilian hunger grows
NAFTA: race for the
bottom
Working people pittedagainst one another
1 million jobs lost in U.S.
1.3 million jobs lost inMexico
Soybean Harvest in Brazil
https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0618/5b26d95e411ae/5b26d9633057f.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
10/13
Myth 9
Too Hungry to Fight for Their Rights
Reality
People do fight for their rights
Mexico
South Africa
People will feed themselves ifallowed to
We need only remove the
obstacles we have placed in
their way
Large corporations
U.S. Government policies
World Bank and IMF
Zapatistas in Mexico
http://angrywhitekid.blogs.com/weblog/images/ezln_campaign.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
11/13
Myth 10
More U.S. Aid Will Help the Hungry
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
https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0618/5b26d95e411ae/5b26d964701ed.jpg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
12/13
Myth 11
We Benefit from Their Poverty
Reality:
Continued world
poverty and hunger
is a threat to
American
Jobs, wages
Working conditions
Helping free othersfrom oppression
Helps free us tooSweat Shop in India
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/clipart/jpeg/IndiaLarge/sweatshop_mumbai.jpeg
-
8/12/2019 World Hunger 12 Myths
13/13
Myth 12
Curtail Freedom to End Hunger?
Reality:
Civil liberties
Not threatened by ending hunger
Economic security for all Guarantees liberty
Consistent with our nations
founding vision
Important for ending hunger
Right to unlimited accumulationof wealth?
Not compatible with ending hunger
Contributes to inequity
Unjusthttps://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0618/5b26d95e411ae/5b26d96572534.jpg