October 16, 2006
The world food question deals with problems around worldwide food security. Over 800 million people around the world do not get enough food and almost two billion people have a daily struggle for food.

We produce enough food for everyone. Despite this lots of people have no access to sufficient and good quality food. Because of unfair trade, conflicts, war, AIDS, poverty, bad policy and infrastructure, some people have access to food and others don’t.

In the future the numbers of people with hunger will rise, unless we fight it. That’s why “World Food Day was introduced…

World Food Day was first observed in 1981 with the goal that “food for all” should become a human right for this generation and for future generations.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) established World Food Day on October 15, the FAO’s birthday, to remind the world of the FAO’s search for a lasting solution to hunger and poverty. More than 150 countries observe this event every year.

Resources

Getting started is simple:

• Learn more. Hunger is a multi-faceted problem, so there are many different ways to get to solutions.
• Find out what is being done at different levels to provide security for all. Contact organizations for additional information or ideas.
• Talk with others about the issues of hunger and think of ways that you can involve the people in your community.
• Try something.
• Share your experience and ideas with others.
• Pray

More Resources

If Our World Were A Village of 1,000 People, what would its ethnic and religious composition be?
In the village there would be:		Of these 1,000 people:
564 Asians	300 Christians	60 would have half the income
210 Europeans	(183 Catholics)	500 would be hungry
86 Africans	(84 Protestants)	600 would live in shantytowns
80 South Americans	(33 Orthodox)	700 would be illiterate
60 North Americans	175 Moslems
	128 Hindus
	55 Buddhists
	47 Animists
	210 Without any religion or Atheist (or other)

"When someone steals a man’s clothes we call him a thief. Should we not five the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry man; the coat hanging unused in your closet belongs to the man who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the man who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor."
Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea (ca 365)

"There is no such thing as “my” bread. All bread is ours and is given to me, to others through me, and to me through others. For not only bread but all things necessary for sustenance in this life are given on loan to us with others, and because of others and for others and to others through us."
Meister Eckhart

"One who is full tramples on virgin honey, but the one who is hungry an bitter thing is sweet.”
Proverbs 27:7

"Is it not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am."
Isaiah 58:6-9

"In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets."
The Gospel of Matthew

"This is what God asks to you, to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your god."
Micah: 6