The Global Food Crisis--Have you heard?

An earthquake in China. Over 51,000 dead. A cyclone in Burma (aka Myanmar). An estimated 130,000 lives lost and 2 million homeless. Two extreme tragedies that have occurred this month (May 2008). The media has closely followed the struggle of rescue efforts and aid distribution. I have two personal friends who have just entered Myanmar to assist in giving out food, water purification tablets and medicine. The need for help in these two areas is urgent and extreme. But there is another crisis that is much less public and potentially just as devastating--the Global Food Crisis.

What is the Global Food Crisis? An unbalance in the food supply due to poor harvests and underinvestment in agriculture, rising energy costs, growing demand from population increases, problems in economic policies, competition with biodiesel fuels, tied aid and restrictions in global trade have created an drastic upsurge in the price of staple foods. Termed a "Silent Tsunami," this food crisis is the worst in the world's history since the 1970s. Food riots have broken out inBangladesh, Cameroon, Egypt, Haiti, Indonesia, Mauritania, Mexico, Senegal, Somalia, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. The current food hardship threatens to push 100 million people back into extreme poverty. This is a dire circumstance that has potentially calamitous implications.

This topic has coincidentally presented itself several times to me over the past few weeks. I originally skimmed a news story about the rising prices of staple foods that underplayed its significance. Then at the RESULTS groupstart/informational meeting the focus was the food crisis and action steps to prevent further aggravation. Finally, a close friend from my time in Bangladesh has undertaken a project to raise awareness and funds for the global food crisis, called the 40 hour famine.

I will post some resources up that I encountered throughout the previous month, but would also invite discussion and feedback. Have you heard of the Global Food Crisis? What is your perspective? How dire is the situation? What action steps can be taken? I hope to do some more research and brainstorming about this issue in the near future. But here's a look at info I've found so far and you can also click on the title to check out the Washington Post website.

http://resultsmusings.blogspot.com
This site includes general info and statistics, action steps, and a conference call with David Beckmann, Bread for the World President.





A synopsis of Beth and Dustin's 40 Hour Famine event

40 Hours of Famine

The Situation: Global food prices have skyrocketed in the past months, and the world’s poorest are hardest hit. The result is a “silent tsunami”- the first wide-spread famine in more than 30 years; a crisis that has received only minor public attention.

The plan: To increase awareness of this crisis and raise assistance through a collective 40 hour fast.

40 hours is a safe, and spiritually symbolic, period that will allow participants to experience real hunger in solidarity with the hundreds of millions currently unable to afford basic foodstuffs.

Religious and secular groups around the Central Arkansas area will begin their fast on Friday May 30th at 8 PM and conclude on the following Sunday at noon. Any Children interested in participating are encouraged to set a 24hour goal, from Saturday to Sunday at noon. Anyone unable to fast during these hours, or unable to complete the 40 hour goal, is welcomed to participate when, and for as long, as they are able.

Participants are invited to raise relief as they fast by obtaining pledges for each hour that they fast. Friends, family, and coworkers can pledge to donate a fixed dollar amount for each hour fasted. $2.50 is a recommended donation that symbolically represents the cost of a good meal in the developing world. 40hrs of fasting at this level of support would lead to a $100 total donation.

All donations will be directed to St. Andrew’s partner church in Haiti to be used for hunger alleviation. Any money collected should be turned in at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church by June 15th for distribution.

For more information, please contact Dustin Freeman at dustinfreeman@msn.com

I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, "The one had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little." – 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the worlds’ goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. – 1 John 3:17-18