World Food day was established in 1979, as a day of awareness on the issue of world hunger and is observed every October 16th by over 150 countries. It is the right of every person to have regular access to sufficient, nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable food for an active, healthy life. It is the right to feed oneself in dignity, rather than the right to simply be fed. Yet more than 850 million people world wide are still deprived of enough food.So what is the answer to the eradication of hunger ?
Surprisingly, the answer is not to produce more food globally. People’s economic and political power to produce & purchase food needs to be more equitable. The international trading system must be reformed to make it fair and sustainable. Food security is best achieved when power is put in the hands of individuals and small-scale farmers – not multinational food companies. Profitable small-scale farmers, whether in Africa or Canada, are trying to to promote food security for their families and communities. Meanwhile , the primary goal of agri-business giants is of course, just to maximize their own profits. ( www.oxfam.ca )
Oxfam and many organizations work with the WFO ( World food organization) to fight hunger in many ways, including, changing laws in corrupt countries, bringing awareness to what large corporations do that creates hunger ( such as pay the farmers slave wages instead of "fare trade" wages that they can actually live off of and support their families on ) - the message here being, that it you don't buy goods such as coffee etc clearly marked "FARE TRADE" you are also part of the problem because you are supporting those multinational giants, instead of the farmers who actually grow the food and are only receiving less than 10% of what their coffee is actually worth.
While the big guys like OXFAM tackle the big corporations, by trying to change international trade laws and economic policies, there are things we do because
EVERY TIME WE EAT, WE VOTE for who we want in charge of our food security, and who we want to give our money to !
What can you do to help world hunger ?
- If you can, donate your time or money to Oxfam or other such organizations
- Shop local ! Buy locally made goods, look at the labels & purchase goods produced in your own area first when given a choice.
- Purchase as much as you can at your local farmers market & farm stores or even try the 100 mile diet ! www.100milediet.org
- Buy fare trade goods & support conscientious companies.
- Give any extra garden produce to your local food bank or gleaning project.
- Educate yourself on the real causes of world hunger.
- Tell everyone you know, so they can do it too !
- On October 16th make a commitment to be part of the solution !
