ending hunger is actually easy
May. 5th, 2013 08:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miriam_eWow! What an amazing article this is:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/the-city-that-ended-hunger
It details the strategies and reasoning behind the elimination of hunger in Brazil's fourth largest city -- a place of 2.5 million people.
The government there decided that food is a right for all citizens and that it had a role as facilitator. They took a number of very sensible steps, such as:
And the price tag of all this? $10 million per year. Averaged over the population that's about 1 cent per person per day. The city will end up saving massively into the future because of this foresight. And the investment in goodwill and well-nourished, intelligent children is likely to give even greater returns.
We tend to get pulled into stupid arguments of big government vs small government as if the size was the point. Surely the real point is for government to act as enablers for the whole population, not just the wealthiest segment. These days, with government stalling on real climate change action, dithering about gay equality, letting poverty gain ground, and doing pathetically little to boost sustainable energy, it isn't even working for the majority of voters anymore. It is nice to see an example of government showing they can get their priorities right, and work for ordinary people while enabling business.
Bravo!
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/the-city-that-ended-hunger
It details the strategies and reasoning behind the elimination of hunger in Brazil's fourth largest city -- a place of 2.5 million people.
The government there decided that food is a right for all citizens and that it had a role as facilitator. They took a number of very sensible steps, such as:
- letting farmers sell on public land direct to customers, so that the middle-men's markup now became redistributed to the farmers and the consumers. The people get good quality food more cheaply and farmers make more money -- win-win!
- letting entrepreneurs sell in so-called ABC markets (from the portuguese for "food at low prices") where the prices of about twenty basic foods are regulated, but other foods are not.
- an obligation attached to being able to use public land like this is the requirement to truck produce out to poor neighborhoods for people who are unable to reach the markets.
- schools, instead of spending money on processed crap food for kids' lunches, now get foods direct from the markets to make nutritious lunches.
- "people's restaurants" were set up where a meal costs about 50 cents. There is no requirement that customers be poor which maintains the dignity of those eating there.
- the government publishes, in newspapers, TV, and at bus stops, the going prices of basic foodstuffs, keeping the market honest.
And the price tag of all this? $10 million per year. Averaged over the population that's about 1 cent per person per day. The city will end up saving massively into the future because of this foresight. And the investment in goodwill and well-nourished, intelligent children is likely to give even greater returns.
We tend to get pulled into stupid arguments of big government vs small government as if the size was the point. Surely the real point is for government to act as enablers for the whole population, not just the wealthiest segment. These days, with government stalling on real climate change action, dithering about gay equality, letting poverty gain ground, and doing pathetically little to boost sustainable energy, it isn't even working for the majority of voters anymore. It is nice to see an example of government showing they can get their priorities right, and work for ordinary people while enabling business.
Bravo!