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Photo: Sean Sprague
News reports on every continent headline concerns related to food security in the light of rising food prices. The causes of escalating food prices and food shortages, which are adversely affecting food security in our world today, are numerous and complex but they include: climate change, the rising cost of fuel, the growth in production of biofuels (such as corn), the dependency in the rich world of meat in our diets and loss of agricultural land.
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The changing face of hunger
NIGEL Tricks has spent 15 years conjuring more from less — mostly in Africa, these days in Asia. His task, as an international aid worker, is to stretch scarce rations of food and funds to sustain the neediest of communities, and to help them grow a future.
The Age, April 19, 2008
Rice farming potential to help achieve food security
According to a recent study, rice-fish farming has huge potentials to help Bangladesh achieve food security and reshape its agro-landscape. The study says, with a population of 137 million and growing at 1.48 percent a year, Bangladesh faces an uphill battle in meeting the food needs of its huge population. “Therefore, increased food production in the flood-prone ecosystem from rice-fish culture could play a vital role in reducing malnutrition, increasing household income and helping the country achieve food security.”
The New Nation, April 26, 2008
UN agency chief warns of food crisis ‘civil war’
UN food agency chief Jacques Diouf on Friday warned of civil war in some countries because of global food shortages and called for a revamp of the international food system. The head of the Food and Agriculture Organisation said on France 24 television that international leaders had failed to act on warnings from his agency leading to what he called a “predictable catastrophe”.
AFP/Yahoo, April 26, 2008
Food crisis could boom for farmers
The global food crisis has been described as a silent tsunami. It has rolled over the world rice trade, lifted the Australian CPI on a rising tide and sent shudders through US futures markets. The World Food Program says the food crisis threatens to leave more than 100 million people hungry.
The Daily Telegraph, April 26, 2008 |
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If food is a metaphor, something’s off
In the US last week, the Sam’s Club cash-and-carry chain of stores rationed its wholesale customers to four bags of rice each. They were, of course, pretty enormous bags, but the news sent a little shiver of surprise through Western consumers anyway. We are unused now to being denied almost infinite purchase of almost any commodity we fancy.
The Telegraph (UK), April 27, 2008 |
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FreeRice.com
This interactive word game, for young and old alike, is simple but powerful. It not only increases vocabulary, but allows the user to make a difference to the lives of hungry people throughout the world. Web users are presented with a word and four definitions. If a user selects the correct definition, FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice to the UN’s World Food Program to help end hunger. To date, more than 15 billion grains have been donated. According to The Los Angeles Times, “FreeRice.com is one of the most ingenious websites of 2007. In the best spirit of the Internet, it offers education, entertainment and a way to change the world – all for free.”
www.freerice.com |
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CNN Hot Topic: Global Food Crisis
In this web special produced by CNN you can download an extensive range of up-to-date video and text news stories that examine the impact of the global food crisis.
http://edition.cnn.com |
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Forgive O Lord, our indifference to the needs of others. Our thoughtlessness and self-interest. How easy it is to forget, when we are loading our trolleys in the supermarket, that others toil to bring us our daily food.
Forgive O Lord, our voracious appetites for some thing new, regardless of where it comes from, and who produces it. The unrealistic prices we pay, and the subsidies we expect.
Forgive O Lord, that we do not equate the results of our own self interest with the plight of so many producers who live in poverty.
Forgive O Lord, when we turn our heads and pretend we do not see.
© Irene Sayer
www.e-alliance.ch
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PLEASE NOTE: LINKS TO EXTERNAL WEBSITES ARE NOT NECESSARILY
ENDORSED BY CARITAS AUSTRALIA. |
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Caritas warns on international food crisis
Caritas Australia has warned the spiraling cost of food will exacerbate global malnutrition already affecting over 820 million people in developing countries. More.
Caritas grieves murder of Catholic priest; renews calls for Australian engagement
Caritas Australia is calling on the international community, including the Australian Government, to assist the Sri Lankan Government in challenging the culture of impunity operating throughout Sri Lanka, after the death of Father MX Karunaratnam in a roadside bombing on Sunday. More.
National Close the Gap Day
On 22 April events were held all over the country to focus attention on closing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous health outcomes. Caritas Australia has prepared a Power Point presentation which explains: why this Gap exists, what Caritas Australia is doing and what you can do, to help Close the Gap
Close the Gap ( 650Kb Powerpoint) for Secondary Schools.
Close the Gap (1.5Mb Powerpoint) for General Audience.
Caritas calls for Zimbabwe arms embargo as Church fears genocide
Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga is urging the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on Zimbabwe. Church leaders in the country said that without international intervention Zimbabweans face genocide. More.
A tense wait in Zimbabwe
As the world holds its breath awaiting the outcome of the March 29 elections in Zimbabwe, Caritas provides background and insight into the perilous situation. More.
PLEASE NOTE: LINKS TO EXTERNAL WEBSITES ARE NOT NECESSARILY ENDORSED BY CARITAS AUSTRALIA.
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Food crises and food security around the world
