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9. Hunger as an Ethical Issue

Larry D. Sanders

Spring 2002Dept. of Ag Economics Oklahoma State University

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INTRODUCTION

Purpose: – to understand ethical issues related to hunger

Learning Objectives:

1. To become aware of population and hunger trends.

2. To understand the key ethical issues/questions related

to hunger and connections to population growth.

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Food Nutrition/Health Policy Options

Education Labelling Food Assistance

– Food Stamps– Food Distribution Programs– School Lunch Programs– WIC– Welfare Reform

Free Market

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World Hunger

AREA POPULATION FOOD ASIA 40% 15% AFRICA 10% 5% L. AMERICA 10% 10% EUROPE 25% 45% N. AMERICA 10% 25% OTHER 5% 1%

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World Hunger (cont.)

Each minute 28 humans die from hunger & malnutrition – 21 are children– Equals a “Hiroshima” every 3 days

Chronic Malnutrition: 10% of World Population

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World Hunger (cont.) 2 x Deaths in All Wars Past

150 yrs = Hunger Deaths in Past 5 yrs

250,000 infants/small childrean die each week from diet-related, “easily” preventable diseases

Thousands more--diet-related blindness & physical & mental retardation

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HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH, ESTIMATED & PROJECTED (3 Million BC-2036)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

MIL

LIO

N H

UM

AN

S

YEAR

8000 BC 5-10 MIL.

5000 BC 20 MIL

3000 BC 50 MIL.

1400 BC 100 MIL.

0 200 MIL.

1200 400 MIL.

1700 800 MIL.

1900 1.5 BIL.

1960 3 BIL.

1996 6 BIL.

2036-50 11-12 BIL???

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World Hunger (cont.)

Not a food production problem Economics--poverty--is the problem

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World Hunger (cont.)

Economic development is the key Education is the foundation for economic

development But . . .

– What is the carrying capacity of earth?

– What pressures can we expect to worsen?» Economic?» Physical?» Sociopolitical?

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“The Tragedy of the Commons” & “Lifeboat Ethics” (Garrett Hardin--VP)

Common resources (oceans, air, public land) will be overused/ exploited

Price mechanism or property rights necessary to ration

“Free” food would lead to even greater tragedy (larger population crash)

“Carrying capacity” important Alternative view: Lifeboat view

(utilitarian) forces competitive view (human-human & human-nonhuman) rather than cooperative view

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Foreign Agricultural Assistance:Ethical Issues (TMR)

An issue of distributive justice

Charity? Human survival/ decency? Strategic measures? Emergency assistance vs.

Development assistance?

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Some Ethical Questions:Is Hunger a Reason to--

Legally restrict human reproduction? Encourage population control? Restrict/eliminate meat consumption or

grain for animal feed? Promote biotechnology to grow more food? Sacrifice habitat/species/ ecosystems to

grow more food? Do little/nothing & let nature restore a

balance? Discontinue technological solutions/ health

care that expand longevity and/or reduce death rates and/or increase birth rates?

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More Ethical Questions:If we save people from hunger--

How do we/they suffer the reduced quality of life?

How do we/they accept the near certain increases in crime/violence/war?

How do we/they handle increased pressures on natural resources?

How do we/they handle increased pressures on social infrastructure?

Can we continue to count on the technological fix?

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Team Exercise

Using the “human population” lecture & the “carrying capacity” handout & Hardin’s articles:

1. Discuss the issues of agricultural production and natural resource management.

2. Consider alternative policy options to address these issues.

3. Outline/summarize the recommended evolution of the “social contract” with agriculture in the next 10-15 years with respect to environmental issues.