Helping the hungry help themselves
Posted on: March 1, 2011
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization are struggling to settle on a new agreement when it comes to international food aid. This year, global food production will rise dramatically, but so will the number of starving people.
The FAO wants to focus their attention on agricultural development instead of just providing food support during emergencies. What they are hoping to achieve is a sustainable solution, one that will last forever. In a recent report the FAO had this to say “Interventions should instead have a longer-term horizon and address the underlying reasons for food insecurity.”
A meeting in London will hold officials from different countries including Canada to discuss a new Food Aid Convention. This convention has not been altered since 2002, and has just been extended over and over again.
The cost for foods like wheat, corn and rice has always been low, giving the government more reasons to import food, or accept food donations. They do this instead of investing their time and money in domestic agricultural production. The United States has responded by unveiling a 3.5 billion food security program called Feed the Future, also many African leaders are increasing their annual spending on agriculture by 10 per cent. The aid devoted to agriculture is slowly rising back up.
This article is important to anyone who has donated their food or money to the relief effort. Sometimes people just want to help, they don’t even think about the fact that their money or food might not even be going to the right place.
The motto help the hungry help themselves sounded a bit harsh when I first read it, but then after thinking about it I wondered why they didn’t think about this sooner. Instead of treating these people like children why not educate them? Once they have all the resources necessary, they’ll be able to provide for themselves.
Another issue to think about when it comes to food aid is the rapidly growing population. While the government is issuing out more food aid, who is thinking about issuing out more birth control? If the people of underdeveloped countries had access to birth control, or were able to learn more about birth control then the growing population would start to decrease. Decreasing populations equal less need for food.
On the other side you have farmers who are unable to farm on their own land. Many farmers have been moved from their homes and are unable to provide for their families. With every seemingly smart idea, you have negative factors coming at you from all sides; these are the things that need to be addressed when the government officials get together in London.
heatherarmstrong 
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