The World Bank reported last month that 44 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty since June because of rising food prices. Indeed, world food prices rose to a record in February, accelerating the trend that began last year.
“The presence of civil war is associated with an increase in domestic food prices.” –Rabah Arezki and Markus Brueckner, Food Prices and Political Instability, March 2011
Among the World Bank’s recommendations in light of the burgeoning food crisis is to expand investment in strengthening environmentally sustainable agricultural productivity. In keeping with this policy, the Bank thus announced on March 21st that it would provide $ 70 million to the government of Mozambique to fund irrigation for sustainable agriculture. Last summer, Mozambique experienced street riots in response to the surge in food prices. Though the riots were short lived and did not bring about dramatic political changes, they were among the first signs that a greater unrest was building in the world.
Planet Aid supports the development of sustainable agriculture in developing countries. In2009 alone, Planet Aid donated more than $ 2 million to support smallholder farmers in Malawi and Mozambique. You can read more about these projects on the Farmers’ Clubs page of our website.
am fasting this week, but I am not doing it alone. In case you haven’t heard, thousands of individuals have decided to fast to protest threatened budget cuts to programs that help reduce hunger. This collective fast is, of course, a self imposed hunger, a matter of choice rather than circumstance. Come Friday evening, we all know we will eat again. This guarantee of a meal is a key difference that I keep in mind as I go through this short journey. Unlike those less fortunate, I do not stare across a foodless chasm not knowing how or when I will reach the other side. Unfortunately, too many people around the globe look across such a divide everyday.
New York Times columnist Mark Bittman is among those fasting this week (see his column “Why We’re Fasting”). Bittman writes about food for the Times, so his action is especially poignant.
In the interest of full disclosure, my fast is not entirely selfless. Fasting, properly performed, is a good way to cleanse toxins from the body. I have been struggling with chronic congestion, and my hope is that the cleansing effect of the fast will help clear it up. Nevertheless, I, too, am concerned about the threatened reductions in funding to programs that have been helping malnourished individuals, particularly young children (for an example of how such programs can help, see this post from the Hunger and Undernutrition blog). I agree with Mr. Bittman that this is a moral issue. I hope our leaders make the right choice.