Food Scarcity

Hunger and food scarcity are two problems that affect an enormous percentage of the world’s population. “The Scarcity Fallacy” by Stephen J. Scanlan, J. Craig Jenkins and Lindsey Peterson explains the many reasons for these issues, who are most likely to be affected, underlying causes of these problems, and possible solutions. There are currently more than one billion people affected by hunger in the world today, but this is not because there is not enough food to nourish everyone, but is largely because resources are being misused. Hunger is on the rise even though there is more food available per capita today than in any other time in history. The supermarket revolution has made food overpriced and unavailable to those in extreme poverty. Increase production has encouraged industries to use food in alternate ways, like bio-fuels, instead of feeding those in need. In low-income food deficit countries, poverty was found to be the main root of hunger, and children accounted for an alarming percent of those suffering from hunger. Gender inequality and food insecurity also go hand in hand. In some places women make up sixty percent of the hungry, even though they are responsible for up to eighty percent of the agriculture labor. In these places, women also do not have access to education or contraceptives, so they are unable to move up in income and also increase the population of hungry children. Many food aid programs are ineffective because they food is not allocated to those in the most need, and is often distributed to favored ethnic groups. Hunger relief programs have also become corrupt, and the food provided cheaply is taken and sold at much higher prices through the black market while inspectors are bribed to look the other way. Food provided at refugee camps is sometimes used as leverage in order to maintain control over the refugees. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, food is used as a weapon in the systematic rape of the female refugees. These issues cannot be ignored by the world. The authors believe that overcoming inequalities is the first step towards solving this problem. The hunger crisis is closely linked to politics, but those who distribute aid must ensure that it gets to those who need it most. Societal changes need to be made before world hunger can be eliminated.

I found this article surprising because who would have thought that hunger is not actually caused by a lack of available food. I did not realize how much food played a part in global politics, and I am shocked that more is not being done to ensure that food ends up in the right hands. I am appalled that food plays a part in the horrible crimes on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The crimes against women in the DRC were the subject of this year’s spotlight monologue in The Vagina Monologues, which told the story of a young girl who was kidnapped and became a sex slave. I would like to know why those who provide hunger aid are not doing more to prevent this. Is there a way to make the societal changes come about? How can women suffering from hunger gain more control over their food supply? The changes suggested by the article seem extremely difficult to overcome, but is there a feasible way to gain equality for women or solve the world’s hunger problem?

Food Stamps

Food stamps were once considered something only lower class families relied on to get by. A recent New York Times article by R. Deparle and J. Gebeloff entitled “Food Stamp Use Soars, and Stigma Fades” addresses the latest changes in the number and variety of people using this program to get by. Using food stamps often came with many stigmas attached, and it was believed that those receiving government aid were lazy and did not work hard enough to support themselves. However the recent use of food stamps has increased drastically since the downturn in the economy and people who once held well paying jobs now find themselves struggling to put dinner on the table. In Ohio, people who worked for automobile manufacturers were laid off by the thousands, and people who live comfortable lifestyles have had to adjust to living on unemployment. According to this article, an astounding one in eight people uses food stamps in the United States. This assistance program has expanded since Bill Clinton’s term as president, and recently underwent a name change. Food Stamps is now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It has received criticism for just being another welfare system that does not help reduce poverty, and also because the system has been abused by those who do not need it or misuse the resources they are given. Despite these claims, SNAP has come to the rescue for many people hit by the tough economic times.

I was unaware, like many people, at how broad the range of people using food stamps has begun. From this article, it seems like they are mostly being put to good use, but I would like to know what types of food people are buying with food stamps. I know they are used mostly for basic staples, but is this program encouraging healthy eating habits as well? We learned in the Omnivore’s Dilemma that part of our national eating disorder stems from the fact that unhealthy foods are relatively inexpensive, and that obesity is strongly linked with a low-income (and being eligible for food stamps). This article portrayed food stamps in a positive way, but I have to question how effective the system is. My step-dad owns a butcher shop in a relatively poor community, and has many customers on food stamps. I always heard criticism of food stamps from my parents growing up because people would use their food stamps to buy lobster and expensive cuts of meat from the store. Should this system have more regulations? What changes could make it better?

The McDonald's Effect

“The McDonaldization of Society” is an essay by George Ritzer that explores the ways and consequences of society becoming more efficient. More aspects of everyday life are turning to assembly-line methods to maximize output in the shortest amount of time. Everything from heart surgery to Nazi concentration camps has become more systematic and is influenced by the mentality of extreme organization. The food we eat, the way we eat it, and what we expect from our eating experience has all changed dramatically from the McDonald’s outlook on production. Besides efficiency, predictability is one area that consumers are concerned with. Variance of any sort has been almost eliminated when it comes to meals. Gone are the days of uncertainty and cooking from cookbooks, consumers want their food to be consistent and resort to fast food and TV dinners. Society also takes the risk out of camping, travelling, and amusement parks with the introduction of RV’s, packaged tours, and Disneyland. It is hard to judge the quality of McDonald’s food, so consumers must rely on more quantitative information like size (hence the “Big Mac”). This lack of focus on quality has unfortunately seeped into our education system when arbitrary numbers are assigned as grades, professors are rated with bubble sheets, and students are only viewed as an SAT score. In order for society to become more efficient, we are continually moving away from human involvement in production. Automation in the workplace has replaced jobs that used to be performed by humans, and even drive-through churches are popping up for our convenience. The final aspect of the McDonald’s rationale is control. Genetic engineering attempts to eliminate uncertainty, as does the assembly-line set up of a McDonald’s eatery. The McDonald’s rationale is mirrored in countless aspects of life that are necessarily related to food production, but this means we are affected as a society, not just as consumers. Our lives are more efficient, but at what cost? Have we lost all uncertainty and adventure? Is having an uninteresting society worth the efficiency? After reading this I was surprised at everything that was affected by the McDonald’s rationale. I do not necessarily think that this phenomenon is a problem. I think that if people really wanted to they could avoid fast food and keep the adventure in their lives. I have never camped in an RV, and my family still eats a home cooked meal every night. It is a shame that automation has reduced human to human contact. Is the McDonald’s rational that bad considering all the ways you can avoid it and the benefits of the maximized efficiency?