Photo credit: FAO
Reducing Hunger is Not About Producing More
When it comes to attempting to feed the world, large agro-businesses like Monsanto claim that they are sustainable because they are committed to doubling yields. However, focusing on increased yield of crops is a one-sided solution to a much greater problem: feeding the world is not solely a problem of lack of food, but lack of adequate distribution methods and affordable access to that food.
In fact, according to the World Food Programme, a branch of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, one third of all food produced is never consumed. Furthermore, according to research from 2013 conducted by the USDA Economic Research Service, 49.1 million people in the U.S. live in food insecure households. So why are 49.1 million people in the U.S. considered food insecure if we have all this extra food that’s going to waste? The food exists, but the pathways for the food to reach hungry people don’t, at least not in adequate supply.
Reducing hunger is not about finding ways to produce more, but finding ways to distribute better and create better and more affordable access to food.
Read the full article: Returning to Our Roots