Media Criticism

Everyone who has stayed up late to watch bad movies and old TV shows is familiar with ads from non-profit groups soliciting funds to feed the poor. These commercials use heart-rending images of children sleeping in streets, drinking dirty water and dealing with other hardships to guilt donations out of TV viewers. The negative stigma of infomercials and the deeper roots of starvation throughout the world make these commercials ineffective.

Foreign Policy’s interview with UN World Food Program director Josette Sheeran provides a good overview of the issues involved in feeding the world. Sheeran’s responses to questions about the scope of the looming food crisis show that bureaucratic inactivity and narrow-minded approaches to humanitarian aid are the primary culprits. I am sure that Sheeran and other experts on this issue could point out several other reasons for poor food distribution if given more space in public policy periodicals.

It is impossible to get food from point A to point B anywhere in the world without paved roads. The lack of roads and highways in many places throughout the world lead to gathering relief packets in airports instead of aid facilities. We need to offer significant portions of each relief package toward building highway systems and public transit networks that can facilitate economic stimulus.

The bigger issue lies in the massive boondoggle that is the ethanol and biofuel industry. These alternative fuels may seem attractive with the rising price of gasoline but they are draining food surpluses. The use of corn and consumable organic materials in the creation of gas-biofuel blends is an affront to the billions of people who may starve in the next century. We need to focus on clean electric, solar and wind power to achieve affordable fuel without placing our energy burden on the backs of the poor. There is no singular solution to the problem of starvation and malnutrition in the developing world. We need to heed the warnings of people like Josette Sheeran who have seen suffering communities in person.