The global food crisis in our times is more often not a lack of food; it is a need to remove the obstacles to having that food available. Poverty comes in many forms and from many sources. For some it is the sudden loss of a job or home in a nation of affluence. Addictions or medical expenses rob a family of money needed for food. The need to emigrate because of war, floods, droughts, earthquakes, volcanoes, lack of employment, or political conflicts and occupations, often places people in temporary communities where assistance is needed for the daily provision.
The most obvious obstacle we are now experiencing is a rapid increase in transportation costs to deliver food and supplies and an increase in the cost of the supplies because of fuel costs and food production being diverted to create biofuels for transportation vehicles. This all makes a donation less effective in serving the need. In war and natural disasters, destroyed roads, bridges, shelters, medical facilities, and such present another obstacle to reaching those in need.
Discussions on ways to end hunger were the focus in Rome in 1996 where 180 nations met for the World Food Summit (WFS). By 2015 they hope to cut in half the number of undernourished people. The goals were reaffirmed five (5) years later as set out in the "Rome Declaration on World Food Security" and the "World Food Summit Plan of Action." Sustainable development, promoting fair trade system, prevention of natural disasters and other emergencies that threaten food security are their lofty and perhaps naive goals. An excellent resource with many links is at ResearchSEA at http://www.researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/3145 /cid/1
In May 2008 alone we saw the rice crop of Myanmar (Burma) destroyed by a typhoon and an earthquake in China devastated a large area. Between the two disasters, well over two million will need prolonged food assistance, over 100,000 have died, and multitudes are out of homes to live in. In spite of lofty goals and technology, man cannot conquer the global food crisis or other world problems with technology.
There are ways to provide more food for the poor today and to have abundance for the whole planet in the future. Ninety percent (90%) of United States grain goes to feed livestock and one-third (1/3) of Africa's peanut crop feeds cattle in Western Europe. We can change our ways. This is an important consideration for several reasons:
1.) According to Dr. D.C. Jarvis, this feeding of grains instead of letting the animals graze naturally causes our blood to change ph and makes us and the animals susceptible to all sorts of diseases. In his book from 1960, Arthritis and Folk Medicine, he gives a temporary solution for animals and man.
2.) In 1961 the Journal of American Medicine Association said; "90-97% of heart disease can be prevented by a vegetarian diet." Other well organized studies have shown that after tobacco and alcohol, the meat eating is the greatest single cause of mortality in affluent nations. Meat eating shows links to several cancers. This all affirms Dr. Jarvis' statement.
3.) Harvard nutritionist Jean Mayer estimated that bringing down meat production only ten percent (10%) would release enough grain to feed sixty (60) million people.
Industrialized nations are exporting their lifestyle of employment and transporting goods. We are now seeing it to be unsustainable, inefficient, and dangerous, polluting and causing global warming as well as energy crisis, food crisis, diseases, wars, polluted air, land, water, and food, accidents, crime, social security concerns, etc. The goal in life never was to be employment; that is how we evolved seeking after riches and honor. We have created hybrid seeds and genetically engineered seeds to increase production, but they do not reproduce the same powerful seed; so they leave a nation insecure for planting seed for the next season. We have given hormones to our animals to increase their size and our population of meat eaters has increased in size like large animals; our women's breasts are extremely over-sized possibly from hormones given to cows to increase their udder size. The word of God warns against going against nature.
The goal in life is retirement in a garden paradise that we can make. It can solve the problems created by industrializing nations; and it can be the means of emergency food relief easily attainable in disasters and can be that abundant food source for all future generations. Small family gardens make costly heavy equipment unnecessary and easy to finance. Tons of seeds are in storage for a future need; the future is here. If we begin to plant food- producing trees, bushes, vines and plants and to select pets that give milk and eggs, it will be a short time to have abundance. Instead of eating all that meat, it can be sold or donated to reproduce and to give milk and or be food for starving people.
In error, we have made life complicated and expensive. Life is supposed to be easy, a retirement lifestyle of loving family and helping neighbors. The garden paradise lifestyle model will be a life of beauty and abundance, sufficient to share with those in need. In case of catastrophe, people affected can move into the neighboring communities. Food and provision can come from neighboring communities and it will be easy for individuals to care for people; more hands just make the work easier and more enjoyable. Jesus said, "The meek shall inherit the earth." God promises rain in due season to those that follow His word. Leviticus 26. God promises gardens, even in the deserts, to all believers in all holy books. Love God and your neighbor and the rest is pure joy; the way is prepared before us; we now know our system is not sustainable. Pray for God's garden paradise lifestyle, begin it and you will see marvelous things including a future with no global food crisis and communities willing and able to feed the poor in all generations.