The Role of the United States in Solving World Hunger
Ways that governments have always dealt with food shortages are: funding research to learn how to produce more, subsidizing products such as fertilizer, providing credit so that farmers can grow more, and trying to keep prices low. Many advances have been made in western agriculture using these methods. However, sometimes food subsidy programs, such as food stamps, are still needed to help the poor. Certain countries might need larger food distribution programs in times of extreme hunger. All of these measures cost the government and the people money. In addition, many of these programs were supposed to help countries produce more, when increasing production may not be a reasonable goal for that country. If we are going to continue to try to feed the world, we need to make sure that our methods are long-lasting; “productivity and sustainability must both be considered if we are to feed the world’s people far into the future.” Some experts think that LISA, or low-impact sustainable agriculture, is the solution.
The LISA system has three main ideas. The first is that, even though better technology advances agriculture, not all countries can use the same kinds of technology. So we should look for an appropriate technology that benefits a country’s type of agriculture and their goals. The second idea is to have countries practice polyculture, which is growing more than one species of crop. Lastly, agroforestry will help keep down soil erosion and increase the fertility of the soil by mixing timber crops with agricultural crops. It will be necessary to educate farmers about these ideas so that they can implement them on their land. In addition, we may need to give loans to farmers so that they can buy the appropriate technology.
Some countries have achieved solutions for hunger by increasing government regulation of agriculture. However, “[e]xperience shows that government policy can have a significant effect on a country’s ability to feed itself.” Government programs must also change with the times. They must also be sustainable. One newer way to regulate agribusiness is to have an international grain reserve. This is like the federal reserve except with grain. It would regulate the production of grain, so that there would not be any surplus or deficit and therefore less hunger.
Other ways that government programs could foster food production is by improving transportation of agricultural products and by redistributing land when too few people hold the most valuable and arable land. As a result, people in all classes could have access to arable land, technology, and a transportation route for food. Therefore, one of the main things that government regulation can do towards ending world hunger is to make it so there is less poverty, as “a lack of improvements in income and income distribution will remain the major problem for most developing countries, according to the United Nations.” Where there is poverty there is hunger.
The last and most permanent measure that we can take against world hunger is to use social programs. This way when hunger is caused by environmental disasters or political upheavals there are institutions in place so that people do not go hungry. One of the places where social programs are most effective is in reducing population growth. The growth of population is one of the main causes of world hunger. The more people we have, the more our planet’s resources will be depleted and there will not be enough food for us all. According to recent statistics the world’s population grew by 80 million people a year starting in the 1990s. It is now thought that the population could reach 11 billion by the year 2050. Our planet may not be able to support that many people.
Some social programs that could affect population growth are: more education for people, easier access to birth control, health care, and advancement for women so that they are not just thought of as baby-making machines. As one study indicates, “when the socioeconomic climate is altered so that families can increase their economic welfare by having fewer children, evidence is accumulating that they will do so.” Decreasing birth rates will also lessen psychological stress for women. Fewer unplanned pregnancies means less children who are neglected and uneducated. This is a vicious cycle, as “[p]overty and illiteracy (especially female illiteracy) are widely regarded as impediments to fertility decline.” These social programs are similar to the usual ways that governments deal with hunger. However, instead of simply bringing people food, this time the government is helping people be more capable of growing their own.
The United States can help create the solution to world hunger. With the implementation of sustainable agriculture programs in countries that currently will be unable to produce enough food for long, will give those countries a more reliable food supply. If our government were able to convince the governments of starving nations that there were ways to regulate agribusiness that would help their people, perhaps there would not be so much poverty, and therefore hunger. With the help of our government, those governments of developing nations could learn to start up social programs to better their society and reduce hunger. With the help of a developed nation such as the United States, those nations without enough food may learn to feed themselves and put an end to hunger.
