Oct 16, 2011

World Food Day

World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.

The World Food Day theme for 2011 is "Food prices - from crisis to stability". Price swings, upswings in particular, represent a major threat to food security in developing countries. Hardest-hit are the poor. According to the World Bank, in 2010-2011 rising food costs pushed nearly 70 million people into extreme poverty. Food prices are now at an all time high and have gone up 40% over the past 4 years. Prices for cereals have gone up even more with staples such as wheat up 64% and corn more than doubling in price in just the last year. This spike in food prices puts at risk the eradication of hunger and child malnutrition.

“FOOD PRICES – FROM CRISIS TO STABILITY” has been chosen as this year’s World Food Day theme to shed some light on this trend and what can be done to mitigate its impact on the most vulnerable.

On World Food Day 2011, let us look seriously at what causes swings in food prices, and do what needs to be done to reduce their impact on the weakest members of global society.

resources:

LPF Hunger Resources, Hunger and Development Links

World Food Day Website

Wikipedia article

FAO warns of high, volatile food price effects

They live in a world of plenty, but one in seven will go hungry today

World Food Day USA Directory of Organizations

World Food Day Sunday Dinner

Bread for the World

ELCA World Hunger Program

"Taking Root" five-part congregation education program on hunger.

Genetically Modified Foods and World Hunger





Oct 11, 2011

Advocacy Alerts

Calling for a Faithful Budget
"Make Your Voice Heard"

In the face of massive deficits and the daunting task ahead of balancing the federal budget, Congress needs to hear your voice: a moral voice of reason, calling for placing the needs of the most vulnerable at the center of budget policy decisions.

Twelve legislators, known as the "Super Committee," have been given immense power over budget decisions that will impact many years to come. If partisan politics rears its ugly head and the committee fails to reach consensus, then an additional 1.5 trillion in across-the-board cuts will become mandatory, slashing social safety net programs such as WIC, SNAP, Medicaid, Social Security, and others. . . read more & take action


Tell Congress not to cut
life-saving foreign assistance

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus sets a standard for how we should greet those who have been cast on the side of the road by poverty and violence. The famine and drought that continues to devastate the Horn of Africa is just one stark reminder that we must support those in need of life-sustaining food and support. . . read more on p.2 of our advocacy alert