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World Hunger Education

Welcome to the World Hunger Education Site.

Facts and ideas will change, so check back for updates.

The 2008 Book of Discipline 632.4b(21) directs the Conference Board of Global Ministries “to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s World Hunger/ Poverty Ministry by encouraging annual conferences to appoint an annual conference hunger coordinator and form an annual conference hunger committee that relates to the annual conference board of global ministries.” Don and Caroline Kluver are the volunteer coordinators. You can contact them at cdklu@netscape.net – 712.732.7901 with your questions.

HUNGER FACTS

An estimated 1.02 billion people in the world go hungry. Each year, 3 million under-five children die because they are undernourished. Far more children live with undernutrition than die from it. For infants and young children, the effects of chronic malnutrition in the early years of life are largely irreversible.

In the United States, 11.7 million children live in households where people have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet. That means one in ten households in the U.S. are living with hunger or are at risk of hunger.

The most recent increase in hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests but is caused by the world economic crisis that has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment. This has reduced access to food by the poor. "A dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices in many countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic hunger and poverty," said Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director-General Jacques Diouf. "The silent hunger crisis — affecting one sixth of all of humanity — poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions."

"Poor countries," Diouf stressed, "must be given the development, economic and policy tools required to boost their agricultural production and productivity. Investment in agriculture must be increased because for the majority of poor countries a healthy agricultural sector is essential to overcome poverty and hunger and is a pre-requisite for overall economic growth."

This year, mainly due to the shocks of the economic crisis combined with often high national food prices, the number of hungry people is expected to grow overall by about 11 percent, FAO projects, drawing on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Almost all of the world's undernourished live in developing countries. And while the number of people with urgent food needs has increased, aid agencies are reporting lower donations and budget cuts.

THE CHURCH AND HUNGER

The role of the church in alleviating hunger and poverty is crucial. God has placed the responsibility for leadership on our shoulders. As a church that follows the teachings of Wesley and Christ, we have a responsibility to share the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

The World Hunger/Poverty Program has been an integral part of Global Ministries' mission to enable United Methodist congregations to put love into action, through integrated programs that emphasize agriculture, food security, stewardship of natural resources and the environment, education, microcredit, enterprise development, supplemental food programs, and advocacy to alleviate hunger and poverty.

2009 WORLD FOOD DAY - OCTOBER 16

The 2009 World Food Day Teleconference will consider the impact of the financial crisis on those living in poverty, the responsibilities of the rest of the world and the solutions that are emerging. Three experts from different backgrounds working on these issues will exchange views on the 26^th annual teleconference. Max Finberg, newly appointed Director of the USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Rep. Jim McGovern, serving his seventh term as representative from Massachusetts; and Joy Phumaphi, of Botswana, Vice President and Head of the Human Development Network at the World Bank will be special guests. In addition to the panelists there will be a live uplink with the Prize Laureate from the World Food Prize ceremonies in Iowa.

The program will be broadcast live from Washington DC, Friday, October 16^th, from noon to 3:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. In addition to the usual satellite broadcast on C-Band, the DISH Network will carry the program. We also hope that the program will be available in English through the facilities of the American Embassy Television Service. There is no fee for registration and there are no restrictions on videotaping or re-broadcast by ETV and cable stations.

Go to http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/getinvolved/pdf/WFD_2009_leaflet-en_web.pdf for more information.

Another source for information, http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/, tells us at a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories. The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, where 70 percent of the world's hungry live and work.

Both public and private investments are needed, more specifically through targeted public investment to encourage and facilitate private investment, especially by farmers themselves.

On the occasion of World Food Week and World Food Day 2009, let us reflect on human suffering. Crisis or no crisis, we have the know-how to do something about hunger. We also have the ability to find money to solve problems when we consider them important. Let us work together to make sure hunger is recognized as a critical problem, and solve it. The World Summit on Food Security proposed by FAO for November 2009 could be fundamental for eradicating hunger.

A world map showing hunger can be found at http://www.fao.org/economic/ess/food-security-statistics/fao-hunger-map/en/.

BREAD FOR THE WORLD SUNDAY OCTOBER 18

Here’s a way to introduce your church to Bread for the World—or get your congregation even more involved in ending hunger. Go to www.bread.org/sunday for information. Celebrate Bread for the World's 35th anniversary.

Worship bulletin inserts and offering envelopes can be ordered free of charge. A reflection resource, which includes a scripture study by John Buchanan, editor of Christian Century and pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, is also available. Also featured is a new sacred song by Marty Haugen for Bread’s 35th anniversary as well as prayers and suggestions for Bread for the World Sunday activities.

LINKS TO INFORMATION –

UMCOR – http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/hunger/partners/

SELF HELP INTERNATIONAL – www.selfhelpinternational.org

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL – www.heifer.org

WORLD HUNGER NOTES – www.worldhunger.org/

Bread for the World – www.bread.org

Society of St. Andrew – www.endhunger.org

Global Ministries Mission News – http://new.gbgm-umc.org/

CARE International – www.care.org/

Catalytic Communities – www.catcomm.org/

Children’s Hunger Relief Fund – www.chrf.org/

Doctors Without Borders – www.msf.org/