Food Aid and Food Aid and Hunger ReliefHunger Relief

Kate AdamsKate AdamsFS HN 342FS HN 342

Halving HungerHalving Hunger

The United Nations Food and Agricultural The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) set a goal in 1996 to half Organization (FAO) set a goal in 1996 to half the number of hungry people in the world by the number of hungry people in the world by 20152015

Where are the hungry Where are the hungry people?people?

842 million people total842 million people total 221 million in India221 million in India 204 million in sub-Saharan Africa204 million in sub-Saharan Africa 142 million in China142 million in China 156 million in Asia and the Pacific156 million in Asia and the Pacific 53 million in Latin America53 million in Latin America 39 million in the Near East and North Africa39 million in the Near East and North Africa

Agriculture is KeyAgriculture is Key

75% of the hungry live in areas where 75% of the hungry live in areas where agriculture is the backbone of economic agriculture is the backbone of economic activityactivity

Steering resources to agriculture helps Steering resources to agriculture helps increase productivity, employment increase productivity, employment opportunities, and access to food. opportunities, and access to food.

A Sustainable SolutionA Sustainable Solution

Instead of sending more food to these Instead of sending more food to these countries it would be much cheaper to countries it would be much cheaper to “provide farmers of the developing “provide farmers of the developing countries with access to training, markets countries with access to training, markets and to farm inputs such as fertilizer and and to farm inputs such as fertilizer and improved seed.” (Sanchez)improved seed.” (Sanchez)

Supporting agriculture would be the Supporting agriculture would be the utilitarian thing to do in this situation. If utilitarian thing to do in this situation. If the people could produce their own food the people could produce their own food they would be much better off and it would they would be much better off and it would help a greater amount of people. help a greater amount of people.

They can grow food to feed themselves and They can grow food to feed themselves and sell the surplus, which in the end would sell the surplus, which in the end would benefit more people than just shipping food benefit more people than just shipping food across the world. across the world.

Some aid still neededSome aid still needed

Food aid would of course still be neededFood aid would of course still be needed Natural disastersNatural disasters Wars Wars DroughtDrought

Shipping food from the United States to Shipping food from the United States to different parts of the world is extremely different parts of the world is extremely expensive and should only be done in expensive and should only be done in desperate times.desperate times.

Works citedWorks cited

Sanchez, Pedro. “A smarter way to combat Sanchez, Pedro. “A smarter way to combat hunger.” hunger.” NatureNature 458 (2009): 148. 458 (2009): 148.

Shetty, Prakash. “Achieving the goal of Shetty, Prakash. “Achieving the goal of halving global hunger by 2015.” halving global hunger by 2015.” Proceedings of the Nutrition SocietyProceedings of the Nutrition Society 65 65 (2006): 7-18.(2006): 7-18.