Not everyone is privileged enough to receive three meals a day. Photo DFID via Flickr
Tomorrow is World Food Day. Think about going to bed hungry every night. Think about waking up in the morning and knowing that you’ll remain hungry.
Think about relying on your own small garden for your survival.
Think about what it would mean if you could no longer grow your food due to drought, or having to leave your home because of armed conflict. Think about not being able to feed your children. (more…)
A mother and child prepares the cassava root. Photo: IITA via Flickr
As food riots in Mozambique and South African strikes over low wages and high living costs have shown, access to food is a non-negotiable (and incredibly necessary) human right.
The Mail&Guardian reports that farmers in seven African countries have been granted a lifeline by the development of a new breed of cassava plant, one which doubles the yield of a single stem from a mere two or three tubers to six or seven edible roots. Even better, it’s not genetically modified in any way; scientists instead relied on the traditional methods of cross breeding and selection to develop the plant over a process that has lasted ten years.
In order to combat drought and severe food insecurity in Mozambique, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is distributing this new breed to farmers for free, and hope to distribute the stems to 75 000 Nigerian farms by the end of the year.
As the world faces serious food security issues we are reminded of the vast inequalities between the haves and the have not’s as so many of the world’s citizens struggle on a daily basis to feed their families …. yet other more fortunate and rich citizen’s consume at an ever increasing and alarming rate. In countries such as the USA issues of obesity, anorexia and bulemia take center-stage, overconsumption dominates and cities and populations increase steadily. This juxtaposes vividly against famine, starvation, poverty, inequality, deforestation and food scarcity experienced by those in less developed and impoverished parts of the world. The below images graphically depict this disparity.
Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07
Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98
Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55
Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03
Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
