FAO, the UN organization against world hunger, based in Rome, has launched an alarm: for the first time in history one billion human beings suffer from hunger, a sixth of humanity. The growth of hunger is not a result of poor harvests, but of the economic crisis which has created less demand and consequent unemployment.
The crisis is aggravated by the price of essential foods that continues to be very high. Not that before the hungry weren't too many, however, they exceeded 900 million, and now have "just" increased by another 100 million. Among the malnourished, there is 30% of African population and 15% of the inhabitants of Asia. Figures appalling that for us inhabitants of rich countries, drowned in consumerism and waste, are difficult to conceive in their true meaning of suffering and despair. But hunger is not a divine curse, a fate, an inevitable problem. Earth is perfectly capable of producing enough food for the entire population of the world and much more.
If this does not happen there are clear economic and political reasons. First of all it's economic exploitation by wealthy countries, which have encouraged monoculture of certain products in developing countries but pay the crops as little as possible. Almost one-hundredth of what it costs to the consumer of the final product. Then the difficulties of small local producers to access seeds, irrigation technologies, fertilizers. The excessive use of crops to produce biofuels and animal feed continues to make a big contribution to raising the prices of staple foods, and starving millions.
In all this there are countries that cut aid against hunger, including Italy, the country hosting the FAO.
But many European politicians do not care to say that the poor should stay at home. To die of hunger while we just risk some indigestion.
The crisis is aggravated by the price of essential foods that continues to be very high. Not that before the hungry weren't too many, however, they exceeded 900 million, and now have "just" increased by another 100 million. Among the malnourished, there is 30% of African population and 15% of the inhabitants of Asia. Figures appalling that for us inhabitants of rich countries, drowned in consumerism and waste, are difficult to conceive in their true meaning of suffering and despair. But hunger is not a divine curse, a fate, an inevitable problem. Earth is perfectly capable of producing enough food for the entire population of the world and much more.
If this does not happen there are clear economic and political reasons. First of all it's economic exploitation by wealthy countries, which have encouraged monoculture of certain products in developing countries but pay the crops as little as possible. Almost one-hundredth of what it costs to the consumer of the final product. Then the difficulties of small local producers to access seeds, irrigation technologies, fertilizers. The excessive use of crops to produce biofuels and animal feed continues to make a big contribution to raising the prices of staple foods, and starving millions.
In all this there are countries that cut aid against hunger, including Italy, the country hosting the FAO.
But many European politicians do not care to say that the poor should stay at home. To die of hunger while we just risk some indigestion.
Francesco Defferrari
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