Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Right to Food... Progressive Solutions

All humans have the Right to Food,
as a basic survival right and as a responsibility of all civil societies.

The problems with getting food to all people are complex and numerous.
Poverty. Food waste. Poor government agriculture policies. Big agri-business.
Food price manipulation. Climate disasters. Corrupt politics. Globalization/distribution
and food-bourne diseases. Genetically-modified seeds/foods versus organic foods.

Each of these international problems poses a different issue to tackle.
The United Nations departments for food:  World Food Program (WFP),
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO),
and the World Health Organization (WHO) have their hands full.
Yet, as much as they do, progress is too slow, and they seem to grind their wheels
without ever really advancing much.

I believe this is because they are simply tackling too many issues at once.
They best they can do with such overwhelming problems
become solution-bandages, not solutions for the future.



Last month, Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, WFP,
asked the public on Twitter for advice on the problem of food waste.
Instead, I would like to give my response for the larger picture.

I believe the food problem need to be broken down into each single cause,
to allow better focus. Here's the steps:
List all the causes.
Make each year a focus of a single problem, for example,
"The Year of Food Agriculture Policies."
"The Year of Food Waste."
Solve-by-focus each cause, by having countries meet, workshop, discuss, task force,
and finally, make new policies, for the single cause, supported by international law.
cause by cause, year by year,
in 10 years, there may be a real difference in the food problem.

But first, of course, declare The Right to Food.
Make this the 1st year of focus: "The Year of the Right to Food."
The UN can pressure all countries to add this right to their constitution,
if they don't have it already.
It's amazing how many countries do not have the Right to Food.
After passing the Right to Food into law,
 there would be a legal basis for action.
Maybe, I'm naive about getting countries to meet and passing international law,
about being able to feed 7 billion people without GM seeds,
but why not try?

How about you, do you have a solution?


45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Transporting artificial, by products, or genetically modified foods to people is not a solution! My solution is to pass the Right to Food, worldwide! Where there is a food shortage, not transport money or foods, but seeds to harvest, and water to nourish.
-Q.M.

Anonymous said...

The solution to the problem of hunger is not just to produce more food. What is needed is fair and just administration by a righteous government. Clearly what is needed is an entirely new system for mankind, one that eliminates selfish nationalism and ruthless commercial competition, replacing these with systems that treat all persons as equals and that foster cooperation, unhypocritical generosity and love of neighbor.-YEM

Anonymous said...

RIGHT TO FOOD: AN INSTANCE OF HUMAN Rights.

The human right to food has its contemporary origin within the U.N. Universal Human Rights framework. Ensuring the right to adequate food and consequently the right to be free form hunger is specifically enshrined in a number of Human Rights instruments. It is obvious that without adequate food people cannot lead a health, active lives. They are not employable. They cannot take care of their children and thus children become unhealthy and illiterate

By Miguel Pauli

Anonymous said...

The best way to solve the food problem would be to try to solve the issues step by step. But also everyone has to be willing too put in the effort in and try to find the solution. I also agree with YEM solution.A.h

Anonymous said...

I believe everyone should have the right to food. The US as a country should donate food to those countries that have a hard time getting food beacause we have more than enough food. We sometimes waste food and dont realize that the food we just wasted could've been a good meal for children starving in Africa or other countries-I.C.

Anonymous said...

Civilization today could not survive, nor could it have evolved without sufficient food supply. There are various dilemmas that deal with the lack of food supply. Food organizations must deal with these complications one step at a time. If not, each problem will remain unresolved. In addition, providing less advertisement on food and more on lack of food may be inspiring to people. –S.S

Rickyj3 said...

Having the right to food is essential. Not taking action in implementing the right to food means taking away the right to live. That being said, no human being should go hungry under any circumstances.

-RF

Anonymous said...

It's true that the problems occurring in the food industry are too much for an individual, or even a group of individuals to fix. The whole world has to collaborate, so that no one is deprived of healthy food choices. Can you imagine living in a world where we don't have to obsess over food labels? Having the right to food means having the right to live. Maybe when we stop fighting about money, religion, and pride, we can finally focus on what's really important.
J.S

Anonymous said...

Food scarcity is a known widespread problem. The degree to which it is faced though, is affected by a person's social standing. The continuing missions and help from well established organizations like WHO assist in the easing of the problem, but it cannot be solved overnight. The genetically modified foods controversy shows us that one tactic cannot be used to solve the hunger issue in every affected area. Serious thought and the implementation of appropriate methods must be used to find the solution. -JAY

Anonymous said...

The right to food is a main human right, in my opinion. Everyone deserves to be free from malnutrition. I believe that visiting these places where people suffer from starvation day in and day out can open a lot of viewer’s eyes to finally do something effective about it. Treat others how you would expect to be treated.
K.R

Anonymous said...

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Chinese proverb

36.3 million people living in the United States go without food daily, there are over 1 billion people worldwide. Every human being has a right to food. It isn’t enough to just feed them one day; we have to give people the tools to learn how to survive. Provide seeds for growing necessary vegetables, livestock for dairy and protein, equipment for clean water, technology, etc. International law should teach how to overcome hunger by educating communities and providing them with tools necessary, this is the way to go. T.L.

Anonymous said...

Everyone should have the right to food. However, history has shown that people who need the most help, are denied. There are laws in Florida that prevent us from feeding the homeless. I honestly don't believe the food problem will ever have a solution; especially when we live in a individualistic society anyway. JJ

Anonymous said...

The right to food is without a doubt a basic human right. Unfortunately, not every human being will ever be granted this right. Organizations such as World Food Program, Food and Agricultural Organization, and World Health Organization have been created to combat the various problems preventing humans from their right to food. As a realist, I have accepted that there will never be a time when every human will have the right to food. Do I wish it could happen? Of course I do. Am I thankful that I am a human with a right to food? I absolutely am. At this point, all we can do is pray and do our part in the effort to give more humans the right to food.MBS

Anonymous said...

Organizations that are transporting different by-products of food sources that are gentically modified is stupid and selfish. Solution!Grow your own supply of food. If the Right of Food law is not pass worldwide, ''oh well'',don't lose hope''.Be innovative and resourceful, it comes in handy during your time of need. -Brett J

The Wandering Light said...

My views on the politics of food are consistent with the blog author's views; however, when I look back to the line, “…but why not try?” I can’t help but disagree with this optimistic mindset. Personally, I would love for the world to be sustainable, organic, and all of the other good-feeling things we want our world to be. On the other hand, I cannot see this sort of movement ever emerging because the world is revolved around money, not specific people’s needs. The point is that GM seeds generate a significant profit, and for those who control these sectors, everything else is irrelevant.

Anonymous said...

Even though there are many ways to solve this problem about the right to food, sometimes it's not as clear cut as some make it seem. Todays' market with food are mostly made up with enhanced food through; fertilizers and chemical to help these foods produce faster. As for organic foods they take time, among other list of things. As for the comment that Q.M. said that "Transporting artificial, by products, or genetically modified foods to people is not a solution" this day and age we all eat those things because of the price of organic foods. Some of these GM seeds are not only modified for growth speed but where they can grow. In Africa for example, where it has long droughts you need seeds that are modified to grow with-out water. These are just a small list of the problems and solutions that the WFP,FAO,and WHO face. There are a lot of countries that donate food and water to places around the world, some can give more than others but it is always a human factor of greed and fear among other things that will hinder the forward movement of these things. The only way to solve this is to come together and help one another.

A.M.

Anonymous said...

Of course, everyone has the Right to Food, but the tedious and extensive process of providing it to everyone is obviously the biggest problem. I agree with the idea of solving one problem at a time rather than solving too many at once. It will save time and lives if we can just figure out where to start.

B.K.R

Anonymous said...

Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could end world hunger? But to solve this problem we need patience. Organizations have to tackle the problems one at a time so progress can actually be made. Organizations also have to be sensitive to the countries they are aiding because not everyone in that country might be willing to take on their approach to solve the problem. leiva

Anonymous said...

Everyone has a right to food. But not everyone has the ability to get it as abundantly as the US. For that we need more organizations to hire and/or fire important people in order to get the right nourishment.
-RCT

Anonymous said...

I think that there should be programs set up in third world countries where the majority of people who do not recieve food can sign up for this program, where they can list all the essential needs that they need to survive. -JLF

Fidela said...

In order to have the Right to Food, you need to have the land to produce the food and/or a job to buy it when available in the markets. The state will provide those in need only in case of emergency,i.e., wars and natural disaster. The United Nations and the World Health Food Organizations (FAO/WHO)are doing their best to reduce hunger and/or famine. In today's uncertain world with so many problems-climate change, population growth,ethanol's growing consumption causing the Tortilla Riot in Mexico due to the rise in the cost of corn, E-coli,etc., it becomes harder to solve The Right to Food.
Paul Roberts, author of The End of Food, says that so many problems have him wonder not just "whether we'll be able to feed 9.5 billion people by 2070, but how long we can continue to meet the demands of the 6.5 billion alive today." Therefore, I recommend the easy and natural solution, go back to the basic, organic food, using your back patio or land. There is a vast population in the third world countries (rural areas) that have their own land and they eat healthier than those in developed countries. As a result, your small contribution to produce your own food will give you and your family excellent results by eating chemical free and more affordable. In the other hand,the state and/or government should provide a subsidy(oil producers get subsidies) for all "primary basic food" in order to guarantee and maintain low prices for the Right to Food to all individuals. Fidela.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn’t say there is an exact solution for this problem, but one thing that I know is that before we can help or suggest a plan for other countries. We have to take care of the people that are right next door to us that aren’t as fortunate. E.P.C

Anonymous said...

The most disconcerting of facts regarding the right to food is that there is no food shortage... there is more than enough food to feed the hungry mouths of every human being. As long as those with means selfishly overuse this most precious resource and the corrupt government officials of empoverished countries continue to use the food as a weapon, no change will come. SAS

Anonymous said...

We all have the right to food. Whether we choose to grow it, buy it or share it. It’s really sad to hear that people are dying of malnutrition every day. But the problem is not just food; it’s poverty. Poverty is the principle cause of hunger. I’m sure if people had money they would be able to buy food. No matter how much food we provide it would never be enough because we would have to feed them for the rest of their lives. Maybe by providing the machinery, seeds, tools and jobs they can sustain themselves. BRM
http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm#What_are_the_causes_of_hunger

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to food... progressive solution. However, artificially enhanced seeds does not fall right with me. I don't believe in most almost anything made in a lab (goes without saying that i'm not a fan of pills). I believe that the whole world needs to get over their differences and agree that all people are equal and richer countries practice generosity and selflessness.
M.D.L.

Anonymous said...

Everyone should have the right to food. What's lacking is the right structure and process for administering the food to everyone. Once that is settled, there should be less problems with people starving around the world.
-F.B.

Anonymous said...

The right to food seems like such an important topic. Too many people go hungry everyday, and too many people eat more than they need. In my opinion, focus needs to ambiguously go on feeding the hungry and educating the obese on proper nourishment. Some countries have incredibly rich soils and waste them importing goods that could easily be grown inland. This issue forces people to overpay for basic fruits and vegetables that contribute to a healthy diet. Poverty and health are correlated. Hopefully someday by solving extreme poverty we can solve malnourishment.
ALB

Mr.Drama said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mr.Drama said...

I think you have administered the idea in the most beneficial way. Starting with fundamentals is the solution to any problem. But I believe that each issue should be tackled on in the most sensitive way possible. We are dealing with 7 billion people here, one slip up and people can lose their lives. Colliding with all the problems was obviously never going to work out, but we cannot rush the problem. Let’s say instead of 1 year we take two years to collaborate on the dilemma, think of all the advancements that we can achieve. Slow and steady will always win the race.

Anonymous said...

We all have the right to eat food, but the right to food itself is not possible. we have created a world that survives on drawn colored paper. food is bought, or earned, but it is rarely just given. the system we created for ourselves has prevented a world where all can live as equals and in harmony, that's because we decided to value paper and shiny rocks. does food and water need to be traded for paper that cant be used for anything except bragging rights? it serves no purpose to value useless material, instead why not take the time to create a world where progression and prosperity does not depend on drawn colored paper.
AG

Anonymous said...

We all have the right to eat food, but the right to food itself is not possible. We have created a world that survives on drawn colored paper. Food is bought, or earned, but it is rarely just given. The system we created for ourselves has prevented a world where all can live as equals and in harmony, that's because we decided to value paper and shiny rocks. Does food and water need to be traded for paper that can’t be used for anything except bragging rights? It serves no purpose to value useless material, instead why not take the time to create a world where progression and prosperity does not depend on drawn colored paper.
AG

RCW said...

I agree with taking on one big issue at a time would be a "work smarter not harder" strategy towards change. Also the right to food law should not only be passed in all countries, but with country-specific implementation. the human right to food should be into practice through human rights-based development efforts. advocacy, policy making, legislation, monitoring, assessment and the strengthening of institutions are actions that can also provide a solution.

Anonymous said...

All humans have the right to food. The world today can't survive without sufficient food supply. The solution to hunger is a just administration and righteous government. Due to not having an administration system and government like this one, there are dilemmas that deal with lack of food supply.

ABL

Anonymous said...

How a right so important is lacking in almost every countries' constitution. This right is so essential; it's like talking about to the right to live. Without food there is not life. To be honest I don't think the right to food will have any solution, as much as I would want to, since most people think only on themselves. I heard so many people say, as long I have it nothing else matters...The world is lacking all these important rights because we human's beings tend to be selfish, therefore it would be wise to think more about our children and future generations and a little less about ourselves.
*NG*

Anonymous said...

I believe the problem is just that food cost is high. There needs to be a way to lower the cost. I work at supermarket and throw so much food away from milk to chicken. I know that there is no simple solution to this but lowering the cost can be a first start. Then the rest can follow. - JPG

Anonymous said...

A great example of progressive solutions are students themselves. Students sometimes try to do too much at once and in the end they are not satisfied. Focusing on only a few things at once is better and more effective. If we would focus more on the current food problem then we can help better to make a difference.

Correction:
"They best they can do with such overwhelming problems
become solution-bandages, not solutions for the future."
They should be "The."



J.R.

Anonymous said...

Everyone on this planet should have the right for food. that a basic and important human need. i was surprised that in most country's constitutions that right is not even mentioned. or the right to life. we cannot be sustain without food. I declare the right for food for all living things of the planet as equal.
S.A.

Anonymous said...

All beings should have the right to fresh and healthy food. It is a good idea that there be a special team dedicated to wiping out food waste and sending certain items to desperate areas. Giving food to the needy is not nearly enough, but, providing seeds, and knowledge to grow the food would make them healthier and decrease the mortality rates.
G.C.

Anonymous said...

Coming from a past disney employee. They waste so much food on a daily basis it's a bit sickening. If they even take a third of what they waste to people in need. The worlds hunger problem will be dramatically dropped. -SKT

Anonymous said...

I agree with the comments of my fellow classmates, definitely the first step is to declare the right of food worldwide. On that declaration it has to be stated that all mankind deserves, to have something to eat, it is incredible how in the 21st century there still people and countries that don't have anything to eat and they are dying of starvation. It sounds easy as just to pass a bill but the reality is that to feed 7 billion people what's needed is not just money and resources, but political and societies will. I think that every country and community needs to be able to produce and administrate their own resources it's not just the USA sending them food, we need to teach them how to produce and administrate their own resources. Those are the first steps. Congratulations to Mexican presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who said in one of his speeches in Tabasco that he vowed to deliver the right of food to all Mexican citizens. Great proposal!!!
By ASR

Bruna said...

In all 50 of the United States, there have been specialized organizations working at collecting food, avoiding waste and at the same time reducing contamination. To encourage food donations, congress passed and the President signed into law the “Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act,” which protects from legal liability businesses, organizations, and individuals who donate food in good faith. Every person can contribute from his/her home through their own gardens, donating vegetables, fruit, herbs, and other produce. People can recycle. They can compost to improve soil fertility. For more information, go www.epa.gov

Anonymous said...

The real problem relies on human nature. Regardless of what people think, it is within us to have the basic instinct of survival and putting ourselves above anyone else. Unless we attempt to improve the way to see the world and realize that there has to be a change in our behavior, our society will not understand that there are millions of people in the world dying from hunger, lack of shelter, medical attention, etc. I propose the right of improving our behavior, let’s educate our children and future generations and promote these basics rights among humanity as a whole.
AYS

Bruna said...

Planet Earth has limited resources. As the world population grows, our resources must stretch to serve more and more people. It is necessary to reverse growth by gradually bringing human population at a manageable size, for example people must decide to have fewer children. Also, in daily diet eating less meat, raising animal requires more land and water than growing food. Moreover, there are organizations that have been working collecting food, avoiding wasting and at the same time reduce contamination.

Anonymous said...

-To make the problem better it takes time and development but first everyone has to be willing to help.-J.D.

Anonymous said...

Food is essential for the survived of the human race as well as animals. For both to last over time, it is necessary to preserve the environmental richness that Mother Nature gives us. In my opinion, it is up to the human race to terminate the destruction of the natural environment and protect agriculture. Unfortunately, many human beings suffer from hunger.
Banana