Monday 10 September 2012–Food Consumption and Hunger

Today we where asked to investigate the hunger situation around the world, and identify factors that have contributed to world hunger, and if there is anything that we can do about it!
We where given two article and had to read one of them and answer some questions based on what we thought
A wicked problem  http://chdairiesdiary.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/
A culture of waste http://chdairiesdiary.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/
We also played a simulation called 3rd World Farmer http://www.3rdworldfarmer.com/

What factors have contributed to hunger world wide
- War

- Not enough adults to work, as they have been killed, maimed or conscripted.
- Competing sides burning or destroying farm resources, so the other-side can’t get it.

- Environmental factors

- Drought
- Flood
- Fire
- Weather conditions - El Niño and LA Niña
-Pests

- Availability of water

- Without access to water there is no crops, therefore no food or seed for the following season.

- Availability of resources

- Such as seed
- Land
- Fertilisers
- Labour
- Equipment
- Money

What is the hunger situation at home and abroad?
Australia
I was surprised to read that Australia produces enough food for 60 million people, and even though we only have a population of 18million, there are Australian who are still hungry? Also that we waste 4 million tonnes of food because we cook too much, it goes off in the fridge, it doesn’t look like it should (not up to the standard of Woolworths or Coles [the produce is too big/ small or not the correct colour]) or we just don’t eat it and put it in the bin.

World Wide
In the World, 100’s of 1000’s of people are starving or dying of starvation a day.  We recently watched the video about the Indian government providing hot meals to students and how American’s eat up to 3 hambugers a week.
Like Australia most developed countries have the same wasteful culture. This is due mostly to the fact that food is so cheap, and is the cheapest it has ever been. This cheap extremely proceeded food is causing overindulgence and high numbers morbidly obese adults and children. While in other counties children are suffering from many different disease caused by nutrient deficiencies. The problem is the price of food doesn’t reflect the true cost of the food. If this doesn’t change then in a few decades there may not be any farmers to produce the food!
Unfortunately the above factors listed in the section What factors have contributed to hunger world wide affect the people in developing counties greater than in developed countries. Developing countries have the most need as their populations are higher.
So what can we do as people to help from Australia.
1. be more aware of what and how we eat.
2. try and follow the food heichary

3. help those that need it. The link below is an Australian organisation that is involved with help Australian's in need  http://www.foodbank.org.au/
 
4. We started a FREERICE group, as we study and answer questions correctly 10 grains of rice are donated to developing countries. Freerice is a non-profit website that is owned by and supports the United Nations World Food Programme. Go to http://freerice.com/ and start today, see if you can beat us


Sophie & Cara