Bread Blog

Recipe for Hope: Respond to the Hunger Crisis

You can make a difference in the global hunger crisis.

It's in the news nearly every day: Food prices are soaring worldwide. More low-income people in the United States are making trips to food banks, whose stocks are quickly depleting. In developing countries, for the world's poorest people—who spend up to 80 percent of their income to buy food—the situation is even more devastating. 

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But you have the power to be part of the solution.  JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

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For six weeks, from Mother's Day through Father's Day, Bread for the World will conduct an online campaign to help hunger activists raise awareness and take action. Each week, an email from Bread will offer the ingredients for:

• Recipe for Despair
  More information on the causes of this crisis; and a


• Recipe for Hope
  Specific actions you can take to help end it. You can also invite your friends to join the campaign.

It's easy to feel helpless when you watch people around the world suffering for lack of food. Be part of the Recipe for Hope, and be part of the solution.

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JOIN THE CAMPAIGN 

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Learn more about rising food prices and the hunger crisis.

Read Bread's press release on the Recipe for Hope and invite your friends to join on Facebook.

We'll also be updating the blog during the six-week campaign with the actions we'll be urging folks to take - thank you in advance for joining!  It's quick and free to sign up, and it matters - right now.

Could You Eat on $21 a Week?

The average food stamp recipient receives $1 per meal per day. Would you like to see two members of Congress try living on that diet? The co-chairs of the Congressional Hunger Caucus did just that.

In the May edition of breadcast, we hear from Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) discuss what it was like for them eat like people on food stamps for a week. And our producer, Brian Duss, discusses his own adventures on the “Food Stamp Challenge.”

When you subscribe to breadcast on iTunes or download it from our Web site you’ll also get our legislative update, music from Keith Green, and hear more about a food stamp diet from food bank director George Jones, nutritionist Tracy Fox and Mark Andersen from We Are Family Senior Outreach Network.

The Drama of Hunger

I am convinced
That if all mankind
Could only gather together
In one circle
Arms around each other's shoulders
And dance, laugh and cry
            Together
      Then much
           of the tension and burden
                      of life
           Would fall away

                 -Leonard Nimoy

How many times have we thought to ourselves that ending hunger and poverty is an insurmountable problem?  And how many times have we countered that thought by considering the possibilities if we all put our hearts and minds together to address this problem.

And then you're faced with considering a wide range of emotions.

Do you cry because the suffering is so real? Consider the example of a mother (anywhere in the world) having to choose between feeding her children and getting enough to eat. 

Do you laugh because we want to make fun of some of the situations that cause the suffering?  For example, any clown can tell you that that the amount of money we spend on some goods and services (ice cream, perfume, ocean cruises, pet services) every year far exceeds what it would cost hunger and malnutrition at the global level.

Laugh? or Cry? or Both? 

That's what the students enrolled in the class Hunger: A Theatrical Expression considered as part of a class project.  This was one of more than a dozen classes offered through the Research Service Learning Program at the University of New Mexico during the spring semester 2008.

The class involved many aspects of theater, from writing the script to designing the set and costumes to acting out the various roles that they created in a play entitled Hungry Machine.  Before the students wrote the script, they had to do extensive research to ensure that their play was not a superficial look at hunger. The looked at a wide range of resources (including several copies of the Bread for the World Institute's annual hunger reports) and held dialogues with a couple of guest speakers.  "They spent the entire first month of the semester doing research," said Anna Saggese, one of two instructors  Anna and fellow instructor Riti Sachdeva also directed the play.

Here's an excerpt from the program:

"One in three New Mexicans face food insecurities"

With this sentence, the class began a journey of discovery.  We wanted to know what food insecurity is, who feels it, what it looks like, tastes like, where it begins and how to combat it.  Through the research process, we started to unearth our personal relationships with food.  We saw how food is an integral part of family, culture, survival and saiety. We looked at a lack of food and its impact on the individual and our larger communities.

The students then proceeded to put together the play, which consisted of about 10 vignettes involving many topics related to hunger, poverty and food. Some were monologues, others involved mimes and clowns.  There was even a humorous sketch where a schoolteacher-type nun (with a German accent!) spoke about the impact of genetic engineering on the food supply.  Underlying the various topics were what the students determined were six causes or effects of hunger: gender discrimination, vulnerability of children and the elderly, population growth and consumption, poverty and powerlessness, violence and militarism, and racism and ethnocentricity. 

Here's what they said:

As we shared our writing we noticed interesting connections.  Most of our main characters are women.  A few are pregnant women.  We realize a definite connection between food and mothers.  Most of the monologues address topics that evoke a multitude of responses: anger, grief, fear, and even laughter.  This performance is testimony to our process of uncovering the very complex truths about hunger in our state and in our world.

The resulting product was a very powerful play that spoke to the audience at many levels,  with the message that hunger, while complex, is a problem that can be solved if we take time to learn about its underlying causes.  Click here for program and cast information 

To express their commitment to addressing the problem, the students in the class decided to include the opportunity for the audience to write letters as part of Bread for the World's 2008 Offering of Letters campaign, which asks Congress to increase funding for poverty-focused development assistance by at least $5 billion.

Are International Food Prices related to Hunger?

Robert Paarlberg, author of a recent article in the International Herald Tribune and a professor at Wellesley College, says they are not. According to Paarlberg, international prices of rice, wheat, and corn have risen sharply setting off urban protests in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, he argues that these food prices are not related to real hunger crises because most of the world's hungry people do not use international food markets, and most of those who use these markets are not hungry. In fact, international food markets are used by those who are more prosperous, not those who face starvation. The biggest importers for corn, for example, are Japan, the European Union, and South Korea, where citizens are generally well-fed despite rising food prices. In contrast, in the poorest developing countries of Asia, imports supply only 4% of total consumption. Similarly, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 16% of grains are imported, and even these go to more prosperous cities rather than the impoverished countryside, with part arriving in the form of donated food aid rather than commercial purchases at world prices. Instead, Paarlberg argues that Africa's food crisis is the result of the low productivity of the 60 percent of all Africans who plant crops and graze animals for a living. This is because

the average African smallholder farmer is a woman who has no improved seeds, no nitrogen fertilizers, no irrigation and no veterinary medicine for her animals. Her crop yields are only one third as high as in the developing countries of Asia, and her average income is only $1 a day.

Thus, he argues that the long-term solution to such problems is not lower international prices or more food aid, but larger investments in the productivity of farmers in Africa. He then blames the international donor community for their resistance to support agricultural modernization in the developing world. For example, he cites the fact that over the past two decades the U.S. Agency for International Development has cut its support for agricultural science in Africa by 75 percent.

Though I think Paarlberg makes valid points, I am a little wary of his emphasis on increased investment in agriculture in the form of "improved seeds and nitrogen fertilizers." Though it is important to invest in rural farmers, I will be cautious to advocate for increased reliance on biotechnology because of the undue harm that can be caused to the environment. Paarlberg himself even states that "because of the added burden of climate change, the number of undernourished people in Africa is now expected to triple by 2080, whatever the level of prices on the world market." Researchers have shown that many aspects of modernized agriculture, including GM crops can actually be very harmful to the environment, leading to the creation of superpests, superweeds, and reducing biodiversity. Such harm to the environment will ultimately hurt the plight of the small farmer even more since his very livelihood depends on the environment. Vandana Shiva has also made the connection between biotechnology and biopiracy. It can be very problematic if small farmers in developing countries begin buying "improved seeds" from major corporations like Monsanto. Monsanto has argued that farmers should not be allowed to save their seeds because GM seeds have been patented and thus the property of Monsanto. If this happens, farmers will need to buy new seeds from Monsanto every year, which they may not even be able to afford. This will ultimately lead to greater poverty and hunger. I also wonder if higher prices for imported foods might actually benefit small farmers who have been struggling to compete with these prices that have been too low for years. My point is, that though increased productivity for rural farmers is important, there is no easy quick-fix solution. The causes and effects of any policy change must first be examined carefully to make sure that no undue harm occurs and that we understand how best to address hunger before making hasty policy decisions.

Reforming Foreign Aid

On April 23, the House  Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing to discuss reforming foreign assistance. This is important because of the extensive criticism that currently exists about US foreign aid and its inefficacy in reaching those people who need it most. For example, after the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in 2004, the US responded quickly, but perhaps not most effectively. Villagers in Thailand received unsolicited boats from the U.S. government and other aid agencies. However, according to one villager, “We got too many boats and there are not enough people or fishing spots to go to...I think there are more boats than fish.” According to OXFAM, much of the problems with US foreign aid arise from the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This act is 1500 pages long with 33 goals and 247 directives, many of which conflict with each other. According to Brookings, the US system is simply too outdated and convoluted with red tape. They report that there are 50 separate units that share responsibility for aid planning and delivery in the executive branch, with different objectives ranging from narcotics eradication to biodiversity preservation. Clearly, with so many different agencies with different goals, it is impossible for them to coordinate and act effectively. Instead of modernizing the very infrastructure of aid, we have responded by creating even more organizations - the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the State/F bureau. Meanwhile, though funding for aid programs have increased, "the number of civilians with the training and experience to direct and implement assistance programs effectively has diminished sharply."  Brookings proposes to reform the current system by replacing the 50 offices currently managing aid with one agency with the authority and operational capability to carry out its missions effectively. They also suggest 5 strategic aid priorities: to Elevate Development and Diplomacy, Invest in Operational Civilian Capabilities, Support Country Ownership, Achieve Coherence among Policies, and to Rationalize Agencies and Clarify Missions.

Though I agree with the work these organizations are doing, and that it is important for aid to be delivered more effectively, there is one thing Brookings overlooks. Brookings argues that

In a world where remote threats can rapidly metastasize into immediate emergencies, the fight against global poverty has become a fight of necessity—because national security demands it no less than personal morality...Helping the poor gain access to shelter, medicine, sustenance, education, and opportunity does more than make Americans feel good: it makes the world feel good about America....When the United States leads in helping lift the lives of the poor, we enhance our own influence and authority in the world community – building support for U.S. interests in other areas. We need a national security strategy that deploys foreign aid as a key instrument of American soft power and a key determinant of the face of America seen around the world.

Though all of these things may be both true and important, I think these comments reflect another fundamental flaw with US foreign aid. The goal of these reforms and the goal of foreign aid in general is still to benefit the United States. By delivering foreign aid, we are "making Americans feel good and making the world feel good about America." We are also "enhancing our influence" as the dominant world power, and using foreign aid as an important national security strategy. I think that with this sort of mentality that continues to focus first on US interests, it will be difficult to enact any type of foreign aid structure that genuinely benefits the people. If our intentions are not genuine, this will inevitably be reflected in the work we do. I believe that with more honest intentions, it will be much easier for an effective foreign aid structure to be created - for its foundations will be built upon the interests of those who need aid most.
 

Painting the Picture

Thought it might be helpful to provide some articles appearing this week that relate directly to the content of the calls we're urging you to make by noon tomorrow (Friday, April 25th, see post below this).

All of these articles really bring home the broad scope (and gravity) of the issues that are directly (negatively) affecting small farmers and poor and hungry people here and abroad right now.  So if you were looking for more context, understanding or empathy on all this craziness, these are a few from the many helpful articles that are featuring prominently these past few weeks.  And then make sure you call - Your representatives and senators can do something dramatic and meaningful about it!
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Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger

"His eyes downcast, his own stomach empty, the unemployed father said forlornly, “They look at me and say, ‘Papa, I’m hungry,’ and I have to look away. It’s humiliating and it makes you angry.”

That anger is palpable across the globe. The food crisis is not only being felt among the poor but is also eroding the gains of the working and middle classes, sowing volatile levels of discontent and putting new pressures on fragile governments."

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Food Crisis is Depicted as 'Silent Tsunami'

""Hunger is a moral challenge to each one of us as global citizens, but it is also a threat to the political and economic stability of poor nations around the world," Brown said, adding that 25,000 people a day are dying of conditions linked to hunger.

"With one child dying every five seconds from hunger-related causes, the time to act is now," Brown said, pledging $60 million in emergency aid to help the WFP feed the poor in Africa and Asia, where in some nations the prices of many food staples have doubled in the past six months.

Brown said the "vast" food crisis was threatening to reverse years of progress to create stronger middle classes around the world and lift millions of people out of poverty."

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Farm Income Up, but Subsidies Stay

"In other words, Congress seems oblivious. And longstanding critics of American policy are piling on.

“It really is astounding,” said Representative Ron Kind, Democrat of Wisconsin, who has pushed for broad changes in farm subsidy programs. “It’s as if this farm bill is being negotiated in a vacuum.”"

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NOW - MAKE THOSE CALLS!  And let us know how it went in the comment section - thank you!

 

URGENT Action Needed! The Farm Bill is Nearing Final Passage. Call Congress by FRIDAY at NOON.

We need you to take action right away to ensure the gains we've fought so hard for over the past year and half are not lost.

Please call your representative and senators by noon Eastern time Friday, April 25, at 1-800-826-3688.

Tell them we must pass a new farm bill now, and must not lose the nutrition increases and food aid changes already passed.  At a time of sharply rising food prices, these increases are especially critical.  Modest commodity reform could pay for these increases without resorting to tax increases or other cuts.

Read the talking points below.

[Note:  This toll-free number will connect you to the Capitol switchboard, where you will ask to be connected to your representative's office in order to leave your message.  Unsure who your members of Congress are?  Click Here ]

MESSAGE TO CONGRESS:

In this time of rising food prices, your statement of support for nutrition funding in the farm bill is especially critical!  Modest reforms to make commodity programs more equitable could provide funds without risking a presidential veto. Please show your support for finishing the farm bill with the strongest nutrition title to help make great strides against hunger and poverty.

KEY POINTS:

    * Over 35 million Americans--including more that 12 million children--struggle to put food on the table.

    * With skyrocketing food prices, food stamp households need assistance now more than ever.

    * Failure to pass a new farm bill or extension of the current bill would mean that millions of low-income people will miss out on food stamp benefit increases on offer under the current conference proposals.

    * Modest reform of commodity programs could produce savings to redirect to low-income families through the food stamp program.

    * The Congress will miss a huge opportunity if they pass this Farm Bill without addressing the inefficiencies of our current food aid program. The local and regional purchase pilot program passed by the Senate should be retained in the final bill.

CALLS NEED TO BE COMPLETED BY:  12 noon (EST), April 25.

More background info is in the comment section.  If you called, let us know how it went and encourage others to do the same in the comments!

Speaker Pelosi on the Jubilee Act

Brevity is magic.

Post by Fran Quigly

Fran is on the leadership team of Bread for the World – Indiana.  Fran served as a news editor at NUVO Weekly and executive director of the Indiana ACLU before coming to the Indiana University School of Medicine's Kenya Partnership as Director of Development and Operations. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and three children.

Panel participants Shannon Williams, Laura McPhee and Dennis Ryerson

"Brevity is magic. Connect your letter with a recent news story. Be persistent."

That was the advice for submitting a letter to the editor given by three Indiana news editors who joined a panel discussion at the Bread for the World statewide conference in Indiana in late March. The editors were: 

•    Dennis Ryerson, editor of The Indianapolis Star--by far the largest newspaper in the state
•    Shannon Williams, editor of The Indianapolis Recorder--the largest and oldest African American newspaper in the state, and
•    Laura McPhee, news editor for NUVO Newsweekly, our alternative weekly.

Together, these publications reach nearly a half-million central Indiana residents and are followed closely by elected officials. I used to work in politics and found that elected officials paid more attention to media than any group of people I have ever known. Remember, they are professional popularity contest winners and want to know what the voters are reading and hearing. If we are serious about helping the millions of hungry people in the world, connecting with the media is a must!

As part of the panel discussion, two Indiana Bread members read aloud proposed letters to the editor, including a stinging rebuke of The Star for placing a wire services story about people in Haiti being forced to eat dirt right next to a large ad for bariatric bypass surgery. Ryerson of The Star said he definitely would have published that letter, noting that letters directed at the newspaper’s coverage are among the highest priority for publication.

With tighter budgets on reporting staff, getting media to cover a story on hunger and poverty issues is at least as challenging as getting a letter to the editor printed. But the Indiana editors said that stories with local angles, interesting characters and compelling facts (and what is more compelling than hunger?) will always be a priority. So we activists should never hesitate to push for coverage.

We believed them, since they put their ink where their mouths were. The Star and NUVO both published advance pieces about our conference!

Jubilee Act passed in the House!

On April 16th, the House of Representatives passed the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2008. This bill pushes the Bush Administration to begin negotiations for an agreement with the IMF, World Bank, and the Paris Club of bilateral creditors to allow up to 24 additional low-income countries to qualify for international debt relief.

Debt cancellation is important because it is a tested and proven tool for releasing resources to fight poverty and injustice. For example, savings from debt cancellation in 2005 have enabled Zambia to hire 4,500 new teachers and eliminate fees for rural health care. Similarly Uganda used its $57.9 million in savings from debt relief in 2006 to invest in energy infrastructure, primary education, malaria control, health care, and water infrastructure. In fact, the bill requires that countries receiving debt relief use their savings for poverty reduction efforts. To ensure accountability, the Jubilee Act also requires countries to

• Foster transparent and participatory policies to achieve poverty reduction through economic growth;
• Ensure sound budget procedures, good governance, and effective anti-corruption measures; and
• Produce and disclose to the public an annual report disclosing how the savings from debt cancellation will be used.

The bill also includes measures that ensures that countries benefiting from debt cancellation will not fall back into unsustainable debt.

In addition to being a useful tool for reducing global poverty, debt cancellation is also important because of the unfair ways by which debt has accumulated for most countries. According to the Jubilee USA Network, debt:

• Is already paid - nations have already paid back their debts time and again. Debt continues to accumulate only because of skyrocketing interest rates and compound interests making repayment impossible. For example, from 1970-2002, Africa received some $540 billion in loans and paid back $550 billion in principal and interest. Yet Africa remains today with a debt stock of $295 billion.
• Hurts the poor - Loans are given with conditions that require countries to limit government spending. This leads to a reduction in spending on essential human services, like primary health and education, and access to safe water.
• Isn't really owed - Much of the debt is a result of "bad faith" lending including: the practice of pushing loans on developing nations because banks had too much money and had to lend it, knowingly lending to corrupt governments for political purposes, and lending with conditions ensuring profits return to the creditors.

Thanks to your advocacy efforts, the Jubilee Act passed the House on April 16 by a vote of 285 to 132. But it's not over yet! For the bill to become law, it must pass the Senate! To find out more information on how to call your state senator, visit: Jubilee USA Network