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Sep 5, 2006 2:50:47 PM cite

If we produce enough food to feed everyone in the world, why don't we?

by aquariusamy

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Nov 27, 2009 5:43:50 AM cite

“It appears to me there wouldn’t be world hunger if you lived where the foooooooooooood is. We have deserts, too, we just don’t live in them, asshole” Sam Kinison “The film crew could give this kid a sandwich – director interfering: DON’T FEED HIM YET. We need a hungry face on camera…” But to answer your question: During the process of feeding everyone, the reproduction rate would increase dramatically. Thus there would soon be more mouths to be fed … and so forth. Sooner or later you would have 9 billion to be fed. And if you do … 12 billion. And so forth … It’s a never ending process. There simply is no way around to approach this question without taking a close look at familiy planning and reproduction of our species/of our fellow human being. There are further questions to be considered: 1) A nation overcrowded with young males (which would be the necessary conclusion, since the old ones don’t multiply … just the opposite) tend to create future wars! Especially if guns are available and outside forces can make good money of it. This is known as YOUTH BULGE 2) What is known in biology science would drive off any species from the land that would logically be needed to increase the satisfaction of food for incresed population. So any of you folks out there that go like “Oh’ ain’t that qute, we gotta save that species” (while watching national geographic from your couch … ultimately being well fed … and complaining about the Africans driving off most precious and rare species) would end up being inconsequent liers. What I am talking about here is called INTRUDER PRESSURE on our fellow species of mammals…

by Strongheart

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May 14, 2009 5:52:07 AM cite

Is there enough food being donated?

by wwegal

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Aug 24, 2008 8:35:22 PM cite

There seems to be plenty of misinformation and assumptions involved with this topic. The U.S. is the 3rd largest producer of wheat. That's right, third !!! China is the largest producer of wheat, and India is the second largest producer of wheat. The first two producers comsume almost all they grow. The U.S. is able to produce more than it comsumes because the free market enviroment we enjoy creates superior technology and profit incentive. It would be impossible for the U.S. to feed 6 billion people. So, the same old blame America crowd continues to spread lies and misinformation about how evil and selfish our country has become. Fact: Most starving nations survive with the help of the U.S., even North Korea, who we fought in the 50's, receives food aid from America. Where is China and India? Most people that criticize and blame America have never left her safe shores to see for themselves what other nations are like.

by Bubblehead

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Jan 5, 2008 2:36:01 AM cite

Because we are insane and disconnected.

by awarrumbungle

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Dec 13, 2007 9:25:20 AM cite

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by worldonfire

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Dec 3, 2007 8:24:15 AM cite

Because it is not a priority. If the developed nations of the world decided that a minimum education of 12 years, 3 bowls of rice a day, adequate clothing, potable water, a safe, warm, and dry shelter, some means of self-sufficiency and basic medical care were a priority, it would become a reality. The trillions of dollars spent in Iraq just as easily could have been spent bettering the lives of thousands of people. The war was deemed a priority, the betterment of the 'have' nots was not. Another reason is that there is no monetary profit to be made. When the welfare of our fellow man/women becomes a greater priority than profit margins some changes may be seen. Possible, but not very likely anytime soon. aries4548

by aries4548

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Oct 3, 2007 9:09:29 AM cite

here's an answer I got from someone who works for cooperative extension service in Michigan when i asked the same question. i am still contemplating the answer, but it sounded true to me. Government's/countries, including the u.s., do have more than enough food. i asked why in particular government pays u.s. farmers to NOT grow food and pay them to do so, In part, the answer was to keep the price of agriculture foods where the government wants them (price control). The other half about not feeding the world has to do with some countries/gvnmnts do not WANT those people feed. If you think about it like I did later, it makes sense. What happens to people when not nourished by food? Brain and body becomes basically decayed. Those people no longer can think about anything like politically change or other important issues, just on ly think about food. That makes the governments stronger and can control the people. They use this power in whatever way they want, whether to keep control in the country, to 'state' on t.v. look our people are starving..so they get help..not that the help goes to the people. I still can't figure out why they would want to people to continue to starve. seems they'd want people who were stronger to support -grow stronger as a nation. cant answer that part-im not twisted like some government/countries.

by ljhlah

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Mar 28, 2007 4:18:04 PM cite

Imagine someone else doing your job for free. You're out of work & there's no benefit money.How do you survive? In agricultural societies too much cheap food would cause the economy to collapse. Result: 3rd world countries stay dependant on the west?

by invisible

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Mar 16, 2007 9:07:49 PM cite

Good Questions. In fact it costs some armies more to keep a man alive than to kill him. It is the wierdos ruling the world. The Control freaks. Gaz

by Gaz

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Feb 12, 2007 11:10:53 PM cite

We don't because we are selfish. We have the means to but we don't because we are to caught up in our own rat race!

by KevinSean

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Jan 27, 2007 5:09:25 PM cite

the reason is purely a political one which will always be denied by the politicians ,...if food was made available to to everyone,they would multiply faster and so use the resources that the west regards as so precious,and keeps for the "superior white races",100% true

by gazsel

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it is not true that people would multiply ...

Jan 27, 2007 8:36:50 PM cite

imy previous comment about having population growth increase if food was more available as not true in the least is what I am addressing specifically when I say your comment is gravely flawed. It is that kind of thinking that prevents real solutions from becoming reality. I thought I should clarify this point.

by stellarsoulartist

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Not 100% true, as nothing is.

Jan 27, 2007 8:31:42 PM cite

This is totally inaccurate. I study populations and you ought to look into this yourself. You will find that population growth is very counter intuitive. Population growth decreases when people are economically, environmentally, educationally and culturally satisfied. You don't have to study it to see how this is the case, just think about it....populations are highest where poverty and scarce resources are scarcer, not in countries of abundance. You have your equations completely backwards, and state them as truth. First we must question before we can even begin to think we know, and I think this is the best policy to live by. You might want to ask more questions than answer them, just some friendly advice. Racism is in part the case, which keeps the world economy out of balance, and I agree with you on this point. But even more than that is a system which has been working over 100s of years, and though built by racists perhaps, it is not true that all politicians or political actors are racist. It is true that the system is. I believe that a large part of the problem is that we are past the westphalian state system as a people, yet nations still play the westphalian system (which values big guns over equality and feeding people) as we haven't an adequate world system established. We should not blame individuals all the time, and instead look at bigger functions of world and national or transnational institutions and corporations to see where lies the root cause of most of these issues. If we focus on the people, we will get nowhere, because it is a system that is corrupt, and will simply keep functioning and perpetuating problems with or without the individual. Remember, that You are a part of that system. It is not 'they' who make it function. You are as much a part of it as 'they'. It is time people took responsibility for themselves, and stopped blaming others. My question to you is, what are you doing to change the way things are?? I would suggest first that you inquire about the realities, rather than what seems rational to you.

by stellarsoulartist

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Sep 18, 2006 9:17:39 PM cite

The countries that have so many problems with food supply should look at the choice of having a child that cannot be fed. Why have a child if a person can barely feed themselves. Citizens in these impoverished nations should spend more time in social revolution and economic reform. The governments that care should help the citizens trapped in the "I must have as many children as possible in order to have a few survive" and help them understand the limitations that they have placed on themselves. If a family unit only has a few children, then the child(ren) willhave better chances if its large scale change. Maybe use a condom!!! If you dont believe in it, then why do you ask for the help of those that do?

by burlyrdc

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Sep 9, 2006 7:25:44 PM cite

It would be better for developed nations to take the time to teach poorer nations "how to fish" - so to speak. However prosperity lives in the province of economic stimulation. Money making takes precedence in thriving nations so there is no interest or gain in developement of that nature. If food were oil or uranium it would be a different matter. So long as economics dictate our doings, urges and very lives the unfed poor must continue to depend upon the kindess of strangers. The only answer is to so change the concept and nature of economics wherein economics is dependent upon the welfare of all. Concurrently we would do well to educate the poor about the need to control population stress. Food and numbers.

by notcriswell

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Sep 9, 2006 7:25:22 PM cite

I do not think that humankind was unable to produce enough food. We could if we wanted to. So what are blocking reasons? Let's look at what keeps me busy. I get up in the morning, go to work, do my thing and hope to receive a reward for my doing: financial (income) and otherwise (social rewards). I am not alone in the world; I am one piece in a bigger puzzle. So is everyone in the food chain. It starts with a farmer, a dealer who distributes food, a processor who does something with the food, a dealer again maybe and the end consumer in the finally. Since we have left stoneage we have introduced the above complexity in our human interactions. No the farmer does not trade an apple for 1 MB of data transmitted on the internet. We have introduced a couple of things: money for one as a place holder for physical goods exchange. A trust and rights system that enable everyone in the chain to trust that agreed contracts are honored, that money will be exchange back to goods when need be. For this work there needs to be freedom: freedom to use my own brain, to do my own thing and rules that tell me how far my level of freedom goes. Yes it is easy to blame those non-tangible bodies: the state, the rich, capitalism, multi-national companies, etc. for doing the wrong thing. But in my mind whatever happens in human interactions is done by human beings, in the end always by one individual. And we know every individual has their own internal world of values. How realistic would it be to convince millions and billions of people to change their internal values? We know it is totally unrealistic. It could be saddening and I could feel so terribly sorry that the world is so bad to me. Why not follow a different strategy and start changing my own behaviour? I have the option to buy products from fair trade. I have the option to buy from my local bakery or butcher. I have the option to buy a non-genetically modified apple. I have the option to elect a party that demonstrates believe in people and liberal thinking versus a party that openly says we go to war. Many more examples. To conclude: in my mind the question we started with is wrong. It should be something like "what barrriers in ourselves do we need to overcome to enable the world to feed themselves"

by Mr Process

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Sep 9, 2006 5:42:33 PM cite

Hello Amy: Because most politicians are corrupted and interested in power, because business and industry leaders are interested in money, and because the ones that live far away from poverty and hunger are not conscious about this huge and unfair issue. That's why more and more of us have to speak out, spread the word and get active. One grain of sand is nothing, many of those make a beach. Companies have to become more social and environmental responsible. But the most important asset of companies are people. No people, no company. So let them get, one by one, conscious about peace and social and environmental responsibilities. Let's buy products from companies that go in that direction. And so forth. All the best. Alf Giebler

by alfgiebler

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Sep 9, 2006 2:39:14 PM cite

Giving people food does not make things better. It makes things worse. That is how we came to be (possibly). I've read ISHMAEL by Daniel Quinn and it seems as if an increase in food production leads to an increase in population. Part of the problem in world is that developed nations give food to developing nations and think it is a good thing. They feel good about themselves. But GIVING them food only makes them more reliant on you GIVING them food. I'll be back later.

by newhaventeacher

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Sep 9, 2006 1:41:38 PM cite

The national and international industries are not interested for third world problems. If this countries loose their problems, the big concerns of the world loose their own power.

by MoeDaHool

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Sep 9, 2006 10:10:00 AM cite

Antoschka - Ekaterina Moshaeva: This depends on people and government, who have taken over and unfortunately are interested in the fact that there are poor people, because most of countries which are members of G8 – America, Europe – produce much more products per head than Africa for instance, where food gets distributed unequally. There is such a term as biological «footprint», which means, that people consume much more than they really need to and their biological print is much bigger than necessary. I think that all depends on people’s conscience, and unfortunately it didn’t reach yet that level, when they understand, that we all are human and we are dependent on each other. And human compassion, and human consciousness they have not reached a stage to understand, that if they hunger, if someone is hungering, this means their soul is hungering too. It is not a matter of Africa or India or other countries not producing enough products to nourish their population. The problem is that these products get withdrawn from there, they get distributed unequal.

by Antoschka - Ekaterina Moshaeva

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Sep 9, 2006 10:10:00 AM cite

Abbas Beydoun: [missing part of the video].. the west and we can blame the rich people and the rich societies and countries for not providing help for the poor people. There are even poor and hungry people inside the rich countries. Hunger is a shame and immoral and I think that mankind can not be proud of itself and it will not have a good future if there are still hungry people.

by Abbas Beydoun

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