Message-ID: <9609218459.AA845922182@hudsmtphq.hud.gov> Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 08:52:24 EST From: mailto:Michael_O._Patterson@HUD.GOV> Subject: Re: Eight Days for Eight Hundred Million To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Canadians can make a difference. They can recommend directions for Canadian leaders to take abroad. They can outline actions needed in Canada. And they can help establish actions which will improve food security at the school and community levels. -------------------------------------------- Salaam, aqayi Dariush. Chetorid?One thing Canadians could do is look at the 50 plants cited in "A Survival Acre", by Linda Runyon, or the 100 in "Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants". Nutritionally, these plants are superior to anything in the grocery store. They are extremely hardy, and prolific. The Indians ate them, and some people in Europe do as well.
Linda Runyon saw a picture of a Kurdish woman in 1990, who was starving, and had no food for her baby; the plant her foot was next to was a plant high in Calcium. She also did up a short piece on wild edibles in Kurdistan. With those plants alone, cultivated say in a raised bed Biodynamic system, it would be possible to eradicate world hunger.
There are many other ideas, which no doubt others will advise you of, this one I've not seen elsewhere, so I share it with you. Oh heck, I'll list a few. 1. Cut way back on meat consumption, which is an extremely inefficient and costly way to get protein. 2. Tax all foods with sugar added- heavily. 3. Promote "Victory Gardens" so fresh produce would be available. Community Gardening builds communities as well as produce. 4. Tax soft drinks the way liquor is, and promote the consumption of more healthy alternatives. 5. Change laws so that Urban Agriculture is supported. Jac Smit put out a great piece on that a few months back.
The problem is not lack of ideas. These ideas have been around for a long time- the Whole Earth catalogs are a nice source of book titles. The problem is a total lack of will, and focus on solving the problem. It will not be solved by governments, because government leaders simply don't care. It will be solved by committed individuals, if it is solved at all.
Join people and groups to promote awareness and solutions during Eight Days for Eight Hundred Million (the estimated number of hungry and malnourished people worldwide.) Link to the Global Network on Food Security at:
http://www.unac.org/8days/8days.htm
What are your suggestions to reduce or end world hunger? What steps should Canada take at home? PUT IN COMMUNITY GARDENS. What can you do personally at home or in your school or community group to foster world food security HAVE EACH SCHOOL PUT UP ITS OWN GARDEN. -- we will forward your suggestions to the Canadian delegation tot he Summit. Please include your name, postal code, fax or e-mail address or school/community group address so we can update you after the Summit!
-- ===================================================================