If you heard the statement, “every child who starves to death is murdered”, would you consider it dramatic? Jean Ziegler starts his book with this statement, and I soon begin to understand why. Ziegler acted as the UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food for 8 years, and shares eye opening experiences in his book “Betting on Famine: Why the World Still Goes Hungry.” He reveals the greed of individuals in government and large corporations which impact the starving men, women and children in various regions around the world.
It is evident that Ziegler has carried out extensive research to support his claims, and his unique perspective brings clarity to the reality of the situation. He has spoken to countless state leaders and heads of committees to call for change, but his job was not made easy due to barriers such as bribes and personal criticism from these leaders. Ziegler shares his stories of seeing families struggle and helping them from both the office and in their homes.
There is enough food on Earth to feed 12 billion people, and even though our population is nowhere near that, approximately 1 billion people go hungry every day. Ziegler describes structural hunger, which stems from long term problems such as cycles of poverty, and conjunctural hunger, which erupts periodically from events such as natural disasters, wars or political unrest. Ziegler exposes how the dealings of the rich and powerful lead to both types of hunger.
While there are countless institutions and organisations trying to aid families struggling to eat, there are also conglomerates, governments and individuals who put their personal interests first. Ziegler names and shames these groups and individuals that have impacted many families in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where hunger is most prominent. Often the International Monetary Fund (IMF) imposes conditions on governments such as removing import taxes to ensure their international debts are paid. These conditions make imported goods cheaper in many underdeveloped countries, and drive local farmers out of the market. When international prices rise, for example following the 2008 financial crisis, locals can’t afford these imported goods, and with no local produce, families go hungry. Ziegler outlines many similar scenarios where a chain of events decided by powers high above can impact a family’s right to eat.
Ziegler’s insights deserve worldwide attention. His firsthand experience provides awareness on why people still go hungry on Earth. It opened my eyes to the countless organisations that are fighting for everyone’s right to eat, and the countless corporations that obstruct these initiatives. Despite an ad-hoc nature of the information, I would recommend ‘Betting on Famine’ if you want to learn the true story of combating world hunger.
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