‘Feeding the Hungry’

Freeman’s solution to end world hunger is too simple. He believes that investments in multilateral development banks and food aid will solve the perpetual problem of world hunger, and simultaneously, promote “humanitarian aid, Third World development and commercial market building.”

There is no doubt that “carefully targeted food aid” will relieve hunger in Third World countries temporarily; however, the success of investments in multilateral development banks is questionable.

Brazil’s present plight is a relevant illustration of the failure of multilateral development investments. Many poor, faithful Brazilians took up the offer of starting anew on the newly cleared lands where rain forests had once flourished. They bought lands cleared by development banks with their small savings and started small farms on the seemingly fertile grounds. After several harvests, the fertile top soil of the rain forests was soon exhausted. Although the Brazilian farmers were making profits with their bountiful harvests at first, they now scarcely produce enough to keep their farms. Many now consider leaving their barren fields. With their savings and hope gone, these Brazilians return to poverty.

WEI-TSU LOH

El Monte