October 16 is World Food Day. The date was chosen to mark the founding of the UN's FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) just after World War II ended. The theme this year deals with protection of social and agricultural issues -- those that can lead to food insecurity among rural dwellers. Rural poverty and lack of access to the basic necessities of life causes people to move to cities -- that move to urbanization globally. Others find the need to move out of their homelands and attempt to build a life elsewhere in the world. Addressing the root causes of threats to livelihoods, safety and security must continue to be a focus globally. Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, noted that the “conditions that compel people to flee their homes are also the conditions that trap people in rural poverty... Conflict, hunger, poverty, inequality, poor governance, persistent indignity and the lack of opportunity. Addressing these conditions will require sustained and consistent investment in development."
Hunger drives people to take desperate measures. Withholding food or disrupting supply lines has been used as a weapon through the millennia. Hunger isn't solved by producing more food. The world does produce adequate food to feed all 7+ billion people. The difficulty lies in how the food is distributed -- an issue of power structures. It is also a major difficulty in access -- not only physical access but financial access. Poverty plays a major role in people having inadequate food to eat and to feed their families. Available evidence shows that reducing poverty can play a role in reducing disease, conflict and social dissolution. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated yesterday --
"Hunger is more than a lack of food. It’s a terrible injustice, unfairness and inequality. We are here today to pledge again to achieve food security for all the people around the world — to build a global movement to end hunger. This will go hand in hand with greater health, economic development and social inclusion for individuals and societies."
The arrival of World Food Day serves as a reminder to all to take a closer look at what is happening locally and globally to build food security through understanding the greater issues at play. Hunger is both a local and a global issue -- it doesn't happen only 'there' but it is in our own backyards. Uncomfortable to acknowledge, but we can work to change things -- charity helps in the meantime, but it isn't the solution. Imagine a world that didn't need foodbanks. Oh, and by the way, October 17 is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty -- interesting that these two UN days come back to back.
The selection of today is a song from the '80s sung by an amazing group of Canadian artists. Granted, they look so young here, but you're bound to recolonize many of them. Enjoy!
Tears are not enough -- Northern Lights
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