Analysis of Myths about Hunger - Case Study Example

Instructor

Ten myths about World Hunger

Food security and hunger remain to be one of the contemporary issues in the globe. The governments from various nations, together with various international organizations, are in the frontline attempting to address the problems related to food security. Similar to other world events, various human beings have tried to come up with multiple beliefs to at least make sense of what happens across the globe. However, it is now clear that most of the people's thoughts about hunger act as obstacles towards the ending of hunger. In this context, we explore the book, World Hunger: Ten Myths by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins. The book provides some of the ten myths about hunger which seem to be the key obstacles for addressing the problem. Therefore, this piece offers a summary of some myths presented in the book provides a proposal on how to solve the problem of hunger.

Myth summaries

Myth four: organic and ecological farming can’t feed a hungry world

The book states that the world is hungry due to the ever-growing population; hence, food produced through various practices might fail to be sufficient in feeding the world. In their words, they state that "organic and ecological farming can’t feed a hungry world”. Even after technological advancements came up with new systems of farming which involved the use of chemicals and other modifications. However, with time, organic agriculture is again taking a front seat after new farming systems are starting to rise again. For instance, new farming approaches do not rely on the use of chemicals.

The authors argue that the organic method might not be adequate to produce enough food to curb hunger. The main reason for the introduction of organic farming is to enhance sustainable agriculture. However, according to the book, a focus on this kind of agriculture is going to reduce the amount of the produce. This is because the inorganic systems help to prevent diseases and pests that are the major destructors of food.

Additionally, the book notes that with organic and ecological farming, it could be impossible to carry out farming in places with unconducive conditions. With inorganic farming, areas with poor farming conditions can be modified to support agriculture (Lappé & Collins, 2015). Organic systems mainly rely on human labour more than the use of machinery and other technologies. According to this myth, the use of human labour is a bit slower as compared to industrial farming methods. The methods used in organic farming are, therefore, likely to produce food that is disproportional to the population.

In most stances, the books acknowledge that industrial farming is the best to meet the food needs of the world population because the yields are high. The regions that have maximized the inorganic farming are enjoying increased yields. The book fails to take into consideration the future effects that inorganic or industrial agriculture is likely to cause. There is a possibility that with industrial farming soil water and air components are likely to be contaminated.

Myth seven: free trade is the answer

The book also advocates for the enhancement of free trade. This is the system that will allow countries to trade freely. The book advocates for the removal of trade barriers and restrictions that exists between countries (Lappé & Collins, 2015). Free trade will help to enhance food circulation across the globe. To some extent, free trade helps to bring equity among nations.

The book gives the notion that free trade can help to reduce hunger if governments allow it to be free. This is because a country will export the food products that it produces maximally at a low price and import those that it can't produce from other nations. This will help to reduce the wastage of surplus produces. As a result, equity can be created among countries.

To add, poor countries with a lot of hunger can export goods that are suited for their geographical area in exchange for foods from other countries. Alternatively, with the increased revenues from foreign exchange, the states can manage to import food from other countries. Additionally, free trade will enhance food donations from larger powers in the trade to the developing countries who are mainly small scale farmers.

Lastly, free markets are likely to have varying effects on various nations. In many cases, the big beneficiaries of transnational corporations are the large scale dealers at the expense of small scale farmers. For instance, trade liberations have been proven to be beneficial to countries like Cambodia, Philippines and Uruguay. This happens because the big dealers have powers to lease land, and exploit what the poor farmers have.

Proposal: Solving hunger and Homelessness in New York, USA

Background

Even as there is a struggle to fight the problem of hunger and homelessness, there is still a good population of people in the New York who still can’t afford to have a meal at their table. Others even lack suitable structures for shelter. Every year, several households visit help centres or their neighbourhoods to access food. According to City Harvest (2019) organization, nearly 40% of the New Yorkers do not have enough income to meet shelter needs, foods and children. As a result, this growing problem has been put on spotlight by emergency providers as well as other human rights advocates.

Based on the nature of the expansion of the problem, there have been several programs put in place to salvage New York from the challenge. However, none of the programs has managed to strain the growth of this threat. Several organizations have risen to help the government fight this menace. The organizations work to ensure that at least at various times of the year, the less privileged households can access food.

There is, however, a need to come up with a program that can help to end this problem at the moment and even in the future. The program will help to save the households currently suffering and future generations. The program will ensure that at least every family can have enough income to meet all the basic needs. Additionally, the program will help to enhance the sustainability of food production for future use. The program will help to increase the accessibility of food at times of need. Similarly, the program will be advocating for the allocation of resources to the lower-income neighbourhoods and encouraging the public on self-sufficiency.

Proposed program

In this case, one of the possible programs for solving hunger in New York is to increase the number of soup kitchens. These are centres from which people living with hunger can be provided with food. At these facilities, the poor can access food for free or at reduced prices. The soup kitchens will mostly be set in lower-income neighbourhoods. The launch of this program can be one of the best approaches to end hunger in New York. There have been more programs of this kind that have existed before; however, they have not been instrumental in addressing the challenge. Some of the programs are being run by volunteers who have not been able to meet the needs of the entire needy population. This could be due to a lack of financial and moral support.

The government must approve this program before it is set in place. Before approval, the initiators must ensure that all requirements are met. For instance, the initial actions for the program include; developing a fundamental food service policy, determining the scope of its mission, having all resources intact, determining whether the services are religiously and ethically acceptable and ascertaining the services provided by other non-profit organizations and agencies. Additionally, the program must be sure the organizations that will fund it in the future dates. Another critical thing to have the program run successfully is to work on leadership and management. This is because leadership and management will be vital in coordinating every actor towards the attainment of the program's objectives. Effective leadership will, therefore, be critical towards the success of the program.

Budget

Starting and running of the program requires lots of funds. In the first place, the primary sources of income for supporting the program include; donations from well-wishers, fundraising, grants, loans, and so forth.

The program will require an initial capital of up to $20,000.

Building- $2,000

Foodstuffs- $ 10,000

Kitchen equipment - $ 1,000

Miscellaneous expenses- $ 1,000

Insurance- $ 1000

Salaries- $ 3,000

Legal services- $ 2,000

Total- $ 20,000