The Global Food Crisis

The Global Food Crisis

"A silent tsunami which knows no borders sweeping

the world”- Head of UN World Food Program

Whether eliciting stunned eyebrow raises or horrified sobs, grocery bills and gas prices are taking their toll.

In Afghanistan, where more than half of all children under

age 5 are chronically malnourished, some parents are

forced to take extreme measures-

— selling their pre-teen daughters as wives for older,

affluent men.

"We didn't want to "We didn't want to sell her," says the sell her," says the mother of 11-year-old mother of 11-year-old Fatima. "We wanted Fatima. "We wanted to wait until she was to wait until she was 20. But we were 20. But we were forced to. There was forced to. There was no other way."no other way."

Fatima is now engaged to a man who gave her parents

$6,000. "We have no money," her mother

continues. "These days, the high price of food is affecting

us in a bad way … we are borrowing money just to buy

food."

In Chile, the price of bread has tripled since January. As a single mother, Berta spends a quarter of her income on bread alone.

She cooks every other day to save on fuel and no longer buys chicken, only bones.

"The children get hungry," she says. "Everything is so expensive, and I must give

them something to eat."

At least 14 countries At least 14 countries have been racked by have been racked by

food-related violence. food-related violence. Hungry mobs and Hungry mobs and violent riots beset violent riots beset

Port-au-Prince.Port-au-Prince.

Haitian Prime Minister Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis Jacques-Édouard Alexis

was forced to step was forced to step down in Aprildown in April.

In Bangladesh, more than 20,000 factory workers protesting food prices rampaged through the

streets, injuring at least 50 people.

So what is causing this crisis?

"You cannot have political stability based on empty stomachs and poverty.“

-Norman Borlaug, Nobel Prize Winner

The emerging forces of The emerging forces of increasedincreased

affluence and its resultant affluence and its resultant demand, such as the rising demand, such as the rising

middle class in India and China,middle class in India and China,

the failure to investsufficiently in increasing agricultural production,

"The USDA projects global grain supplies will drop to their lowest

levels on record. Further, it is likely that, outside of wartime, global grain supplies have not

been this low in a century, perhaps longer."

- NFU Director of Research Darrin Qualman

thediversion of wheat and corn to ethanol production,

Last year 20% of the country's maize Last year 20% of the country's maize crop went to produce ethanol. crop went to produce ethanol.

According to the Earth Policy Institute, According to the Earth Policy Institute, by next year almost a third of by next year almost a third of

America's corn crop - which America's corn crop - which traditionally would feed millions of the traditionally would feed millions of the

world's poor - will go to making world's poor - will go to making ethanol. ethanol.

the drop in the value of the dollar,

increased marketspeculation,

the rise in energy prices,

as well as poor harvest, are all contributing causes.

“It is certainly a storm that has hit with little warning and

has plunged an extra 100 million people into poverty.”

-BBC News

The cost of aid has risen so sharply the World Food

Program is now facing a $750 million shortfall in its budget.

USAID officials said that a 41 percent surge in prices of cereals over the past six months has generated a $120 million budget shortfall that will force the agency to reduce emergency operations.

That deficit is projected to rise to $200 million by year's end.

Congress is considering adding $850 million in funding for food in 2008, but it's still pending.

So what can we do?How do we respond?

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat..."

—Matthew 25:35 (NIV)

Educate yourself…

We have posted links to articles on Activate’s blog:

www.experienceactivate.wordpress.com

Take action…

Through World Vision’s website you can contact your congressmen to ask the US government to supply more international aid

www.worldvision.org

Donate money through World Vision

Help those in our community who are in need…

Every time you see a “buy 1 get 1 free” sign buy 1 for yourself and

buy the second one and store it,

to give to the local food bank

Join Resonate in a day of fasting and prayer

this Wednesday

in conjunction with World Vision's day of fasting and prayer

So I turned to the Lord God and PLEADED with him in PRAYER and PETITION, in FASTING, and in sackcloth and ashes.

-Daniel 9:3

Sources:www.worldvision.orgwww.bbc.co.ukwww.washingtonpost.com