Hunger,+Nutrition,+Food

Social Entrepreneurs on Hunger, Nutrition, and Food By Laura Houd, Erin Musso, John Lawrence, Devin Holiday, and Chloe Wheeler

toc The inequality of food distribution, poor food production techniques, and insufficient funds to buy food are the main reason why there are one billion starving people (Global Agriculture and Food Security Program 2010). The United States constitutes only 6% percent of the world population, but consumes about 40% of the worlds natural resources (Utah Education Network 2010). This unequal access to food results in the deaths of about 50,000 people a day and the malnourishment of over 200 million children under the age of five (UEN, 2010). Those who do not know when or how they will receive their next meal suffer from food insecurity and this afflicts about one in every six people (Oxfam 2010). Food insecurity results in the stunted growth of an individual, decreased cognitive development, and an individual being more prone to illness (USAID 2010). Also, areas with poor climates and areas that are affected by severe natural disasters, such as flooding, experience problems like food shortages due to damaged agriculture (oxfam 2010). =__ Problems: __= Kwashiorkor: (condition that the first child gets when the second child comes)
 * Severe protein deficit
 * Edema in abdomen and legs
 * Apathy, retarded growth, brittle hair, flaky skin

Marasmus:
 * Severe protein and energy deficit
 * “Skin and bones”
 * muscle wasting, low body fat, reduced brain growth

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM):
 * Most fatal form of hunger
 * Deficit of calories and protein
 * Calorie deficit is important because food is converted into energy by humans, and the energy contained in food is measured by caloric content
 * Protein is necessary for key body functions including: provisions of essential amino acids and the development and maintenance of muscles
 * Information about problems taken from WorldHunger.Org

=__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Solutions: __= <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The program Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO), responds to hunger on an international basis. One of their goals is to provide crops to communities by experimenting with a Seed Bank (ECHO 3). Out of the 335 options of food plants, ECHO sends out free packets of seeds to areas where growing conditions are not favorable, although the website recommends those seeking seeds to find out what specific crops grow best in their location (ECHO 3). The results have been staggering and have resulted in the fruition of many plants (ECHO 3). Co-founder of ECHO, Martin Price, has developed a program called Urban Gardening, which focuses on places where it is hard to grow crops (ECHO 3).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Oxfam, an organization of 14 countries, is also involved with ending world hunger. As the price for food increases, several rich governments have donated money to poor countries (Oxfam 1). They also have corroborated with other agencies and now have long-term programs. In Pakistan, severe flooding, has resulted in long-term diseases to the population and has wiped out about a fifth of the cropland (Oxfam 1). Oxfam has sent clean water and sanitation materials to Pakistan (Oxfam 1).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A man named Bangladeshi Muhammad Yunus developed a solution in Bangladesh. He created a model by using micro-credit, which is called Grameen banking and is aimed at reducing poverty (Lappe 2007, 15). These are essentially networking areas where people can come together, learn from each other, and improve their community (Lappe 2007, 15). The success of this system has resulted in the implementation of this program in over 100 countries. Bangladesh alone has seen moderate poverty reduction up to 40 percent (Lappe 2007, 15).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A program developed by President Obama called Feed the Future is also concerned with curing hunger throughout the world. The main goal of this program is to make food security investments, which would be granted by multilateral institutions and government agencies (USAID 2010). The seven goals listed by USAID web are: <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">President Obama has pledged $3.5 billion over the next three years
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Improving agricultural activity but implementing better technologies that allow food to be stored longer
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Promoting market development which help small farms to plan their own schedule
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Facilitate trade expansion by reducing tariffs and improving banking laws to help assist cross-border capital flow
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Invest in global innovation and research
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Promote equitable rural economic growth
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Prevent nutrient deficiencies and
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Provide emergency relief aid (USAID 2010).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Food Stamp program is also another solution to help with hunger in the United States. This program has assisted 40 million low-income residents (world hunger 4). About 40% of these residents are families with children and almost one-third of the recipients are disabled (world hunger 4). In order to be classified as a low income resident, three criteria must be met:


 * 1) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">﻿A household's total monthly income for a family of 3 is below $1,980
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">the income after deductions are applied, for items such as high housing cost and childcare, must be less than or equal to the poverty line
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The assets a family owns must fall below a certain limit

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The United States also sponsors the National School Lunch Program that provides balanced lunches for 30.5 million children belonging to low income families (world hunger 4). To be considered for the program a family must have incomes below 130% of the poverty line (world hunger 4). Families that fall in between 130-185% of the poverty line pay a reduced price and families that range 185% above the poverty line must pay the full price of lunch, although these lunches are still subsidized.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Food banks are another grassroots attempt to help people living in poverty. These include homeless shelters and soup kitchens (world hunger 4).

=__ Case Studies: __=

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">(1) Nutritional Supplements Sprinkles
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The first case study concerning hunger is the international story of Stanley Zlotkin. Zlotkin tackled the "so-called hidden hunger"- vitamin and mineral deficiencies in children from developing countries (Ashoka 2). In order to deal with this type of hunger, Zlotkin developed Sprinkles: "a unique form of nutrition that enables families to inexpensively fortify many different foods," (Ashoka 2). These nutrients in the form of tiny capsules easily add minerals and vitamins to semi-solid food without adding the bitter taste often found in regular supplements (Ashoka 2). In addition to their nutritional value, Sprinkles are also economically valuable in that they are affordable, allowing parents to provide these supplements for their children in the most important early years (Ashoka 2). Sprinkles additionally give mothers back their control over their child's health, creating health advocates for the community (Ashoka 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Zlotkin first got the inspiration for Sprinkles by looking at the astonishing facts: "vitamin and mineral deficiencies are the leading cause of arrested development in children," with "40 to 60 percent of infants in the developing world" having "impaired normal mental development," (Ashoka 3). With the GDP of countries being reduced by up to two percent from iron deficiency, the ending of deficiencies is extremely important to the development of the children and the development of the countries (Ashoka 3). Before Zlotkin invented Sprinkles, there were no low-cost and effective solutions to vitamin and mineral deficiencies among children in developing countries (Ashoka 3).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">After understanding this instance of hunger and coming up with Sprinkles, Zlotkin put his plan into action by first forming partnerships with various international institutions in order to ensure his product would be culturally adapted and implemented (Ashoka 4). Zlotkin established distribution programs in over eighteen countries based on the criteria of "need, population, political receptivity to Sprinkles and potential for workable in-country partnerships," (Ashoka 4). Each established program focuses on the particular health challenges specific to each area and country (Ashoka 4). Thousands of children in developing countries have received Sprinkles and seen a decrease in deficiencies, all thanks to the generous work and thoughtfulness of Stanley Zlotkin (Ashoka 4).

__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">(2) The New Food Bank Model For Columbia __
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The next case study regarding hunger is from Sofia Sarasti who is working on hunger in Colombia. Sarasti's mission is to recreate the food banks currently under poor operation (Ashoka 2). Her idea to do so is by launching different types of food delivering methods to determine ultimately which ones work the best (Ashoka 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Due to the immense conflict and turmoil in Colombia, there has been a rise in hunger (Ashoka 3). With the rise in conflict, it has been difficult for the Colombian government to deal with hunger, and with a failing system, some areas receive a surplus of unusable food where others run short (Ashoka 3).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">To overcome this immense issue in Colombia, Sarasti created the Cali Food Bank in order "to improve the operations of both food collection and distribution organizations, focusing equally on efficient use of resources and development of new infrastructure and governance," (Ashoka 4). Sarasti also created a screening process to make sure the food donations reached the intended recipients (Ashoka 4). Sarasti paired with organizations that help with the validity of the food donations and pay a service fee that goes to sustaining Cali Food Bank. She offers workshops for each organization to ensure they are each contributing to the goal of ending hunger (Ashoka 4). "Cali Food Bank also holds trainings on practical health and home-related topics for its affiliates and their beneficiaries, exponentially increasing public awareness of best practices through word-of-mouth and the sharing of household tips from client to client," (Ashoka 4). Currently the Cali Food Bank gives over 100 tons of food each month to 153 organizations, benefiting 23,000 individuals and helping to end hunger in Colombia (Ashoka 4).

__** (3) Share Our Strength: Against Childhood Hunger in America **__
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Share Our Strength is a nation wide organization that works towards ending childhood hunger in America. With the help of community groups, activists and food programs, the members of Share Our Strength try to find children who are living a life of hunger and poor nutrition and intervene before life long health consequences occur (Share Our Strength 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Share Our Strength began in 1984 when founder Billy Shore was shocked by the Ethiopian famine. He believed that “everyone has a strength to share in the global fight against hunger and poverty” (Share Our Strength 2), and this belief became the beginning of the organization. In 2004, the specific program on childhood hunger in America was launched (Share Our Strength 2). Since the beginning in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised over $280 million and provided support for more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations working to end hunger. In 2008, Share Our Strength revealed their official logo of “No Kid Hungry,” which means exactly what it says: to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry (Share Our Strength 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">One specific case that Share Our Strength has worked with closely is hunger and poverty in Louisiana. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are big reasons for this problem, but even before the storms, hunger and poverty rates were still high. Since 1988, Share Our Strength has been doing all they can to lift that poverty, providing $2 million in grants to support 50 organizations that are working to end childhood hunger and give relief to families. Share Our Strength states that they will continue providing support in Louisiana as long as childhood hunger is a prevalent issue. One of the specific goals they have is in creating a statewide alliance of anti-hunger and advocacy organizations, in order to design strategies toward a realistic plan that will end childhood hunger in Louisiana permanently (Share Our Strength 3).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Share Our Strength foundation has a committed goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015 (Share Our Strength 2). They have come up with a strategic 10-point plan in the hopes of achieving this goal. The steps in this 10-point plan include:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">1. Provide all children with a healthy breakfast <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">2. Encourage healthy food choices <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">3. Help eligible families meet needs at home with access to food stamps <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">4. Improve the economic security of working families <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">5. Increase families’ access to fresh, affordable produce in their own neighborhoods <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">6. Help after school programs provide healthy meals and snacks <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">7. Expand the reach of summer meals programs <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">8. Ensure access to balanced, nutritious diets for all pregnant women and preschool children <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">9. Ensure access to nutritious food in shelters and food pantries <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">10. Provide comprehensive public education about available resources and assistance (Share Our Strength 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Share Our Strength foundation wants us as Americans to realize that childhood hunger in our country is not immediately visible. They want us to be aware of the facts and encourage people to help reach their goal of ending childhood hunger in America for good

==__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">(4) One Acre Fund: Helping East African Farmers __<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> == <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The One Acre Fund is a social entrepreneur group that works to permanently eliminate hunger in areas of Kenya and Rwanda. Due to the chronic hunger and malnutrition in these poor East African districts, the life expectancy has come to 49 years in Kenya, and only 42 years in Rwanda (One Acre Fund 2). The main sights of such poverty come from one-acre subsistence farmers, who are considered to be some of the largest groups of “forgotten poor” in the world (One Acre Fund 2). Unlike some other programs, the primary goal of One Acre Fund is to “empower permanent life change” (One Acre Fund 2). This means they do not just give the poor what they need to survive, but they teach them how to overcome their situation and literally lift themselves out of poverty completely—bringing them a realistic, and permanent solution to the problem (One Acre Fund 2). They arrive to this solution by providing the poor with tools, training, and market access to poor farmers in the area (One Acre Fund 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">One Acre Fund’s program model uses what they call a “market bundle.” This “market bundle” is broken down into 5 major pieces, which are taught to farmers in order to help them obtain a full functioning market system so they can generate a better income. The 5 components of this “market bundle” include:


 * 1) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Empowering local groups of farmers by bringing them together. In giving these farmers the opportunity to interact with each other, they are consequently increasing the possibility of economically interacting with the markets (One Acre Fund 2).
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Farm education is provided to farmers in order to teach the proper and most effective way to handle their crops and increase production. Led by a field officer, complicated techniques are broken down and presented to them into simple, easy to understand lessons (One Acre Fund 2).
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Capital, environmentally-sensitive planting materials and fertilizer. Farmers are provided with up-to-date commercial seed and fertilizer that provides badly-needed nutrients to their current soil that has been stripped of its nutrients due to years poor management (One Acre Fund 2).
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Connection with harvest markets is made possible by allowing farmers to access much higher prices. One Acre Fund makes this happen by acting as a bulk-selling agent, and allowing farmers to create an investment/savings cycle, eventually pulling themselves out of hunger (One Acre Fund 2).
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Crop insurance is the final component. Only about 0.3% of Africa’s poor are insured in any way. One Acre Fund has found and distributed a crop insurance that promises to pay farmers in the event of significant drought or disease (One Acre Fund 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">This program model truly guides the poor away from hunger by simply giving them the resources to advance their income. They are not handed the answers to the problem, but are given the tools needed to understand and escape hunger for good (One Acre Fund 2).

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">One Acre Fund has a number of field officers, who teach this “market bundle” to their assigned group of student farmers. Each group has about 5-10 field officers, to whom are supervised by one “field manager.” When One Acre Field is at its point of full working capacity, each district of operations will have 5-10 field managers, supervising 50-100 field officers, serving 10,000-20,000 farmers! Since the beginning of One Acre Fund’s amazing efforts, they have helped 30,000 families to bring themselves out of a hungry lifestyle, and to learn to fight for themselves in a more productive way (One Acre Fund 2).

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=__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Final Note: __= <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">If you have any interest in helping the fight against global hunger or would like more information on the topic, please visit any of the following websites. <span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">[|Spread The Word] <span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">[|The Hunger Site] <span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">[|World Vision] <span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">[|Hearts and Minds: World Hunger and Poverty Links] <span style="cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">[|World Hunger Relief 2010] <span style="background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px;">[|Food for the Poor]

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">For real time statistics regarding global hunger, please visit: [|Stop The Hunger.com]. =__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 80%;">References: __=
 * 1) Ashoka. 2010. 6 October 2010. Nutritional Supplements Sprinkles Case Study. [] Ashoka is a website detailing social entrepreneurship. The website contains updates and information as well as personal stories and case studies of actual social entrepreneurs around the world. Ashoka is analyzed to be a legitimate source for information because it is one of the leading websites for social entrepreneurship.
 * 2) Ashoka. 2010. 7 October 2010. The New Food Bank Model for Colombia Case Study. [] Ashoka is a website detailing social entrepreneurship. The website contains updates and information as well as personal stories and case studies of actual social entrepreneurs around the world. Ashoka is analyzed to be a legitimate source for information because it is one of the leading websites for social entrepreneurship.
 * 3) ECHO. 2010. 10 October 2010. Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization. [|http://www.echonet.org] ECHO is an organization concerned with hunger. ECHO is credible because the organization is widespread.
 * 4) Lappe, Frances M. 2007. World Hunger: Its Roots and Remedies. A Sociology of Food and Nutrition. Oxford University Press
 * 5) One Acre Fund. 7 October 2010. [] One Acre Fund is a website specific to hunger in the the area of East Africa. One Acre Fund is analzyed to be a legitimate source for information because it is one of the leading websites for work in East Africa.
 * 6) Oxfam. 2010. 10 October 2010. [|http://oxfam.org]. Oxfam is a group if non-governmental organizations from three continents working worldwide to fight poverty and injustice. Oxfam is credible because of the spread of countries and global scope.
 * 7) Share Our Strength. 6 October 2010. Home page. [] Share Our Strength is a website detailing hunger specific to America. Share Our Strength is analyzed to be a legitimate source for information because it is one of the leaders in fighting hunger in America.
 * 8) Share Our Strength. 6 October 2010. [] Share Our Strength is a website detailing hunger specific to America. Share Our Strength is analyzed to be a legitimate source for information because it is one of the leaders in fighting hunger in America.
 * 9) Utah Education Network (UEN). 2010. 8 October 2010. [] UEN is a website containing facts about hunger. UEN is a legitimate source because of the credibility of the facts provided.
 * 10) USAID. 2010. 8 October 2010. [] USAID is the government agency providing US economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide. USAID is a legitimate source because the agency has been providing assistance for over 40 years.
 * 11) World Bank. 2010. Global Agriculture and Food Security Program 2010. 9 October 2010. [|http://www.worldbank.org] The World Bank is a group that offers loans, advice, and resources to more than 100 developing countries. The World Bank is a credible source because of its activity globally.
 * 12) World Hunger. 2010. 8 October 2010. [] World Hunger is a website detailing hunger throughout the world. World Hunger is legitimate because it contains facts from around the globe and numerous sources.