14—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dec. 21, 1974
From Local Ag Teachers:
Cliff Day
Ag. Instructor
Garden Spot High School
Am I My
Brother’s Keeper???
Recently the world focused
it’s attention on Rome for
what developments might
emerge from the World Food
Conference. The conference
was called by Secretary of
State Henry Kissenger over
a year ago. The purpose of
this conference was to
discuss what could be done
with the problems arising
from the critical shortage of
food in the world.
The United States was
represented by Secretary
Kissinger and Secretary of
Agriculture, Earl Butz as
well as numerous other
interested groups. The 1,000
delegates from over 100
countries heard how the U.S.
has spent over $25 billion in
food aid in just the last 20
years, which stands second
to no other country in aid.
The response from the
delegates was less than
cheerful or thankful. For
example, our close neighbor
to the south, Mexico,
represented by the Mexican
President placed both the
blame and burden on the
United States for the world’s
present condition. Rene
Dumant, a French scientist
stated it this way, “The over
consumption of meat
famishes the poor. In eating
hamburger, the rich whites
(Americans) are indirect
cannibals”. That sounds like
pretty strong language from
a country that has received
as much aid as any in
Western Europe.
In a recent Farm Journal
Magazine (December 1974),
the editor’s opinion is
summed up well concerning
the World Food Conference.
The U.S. was pictured in the
Prosperous New Year
Your Local John Deere Dealer
Thoughts
in Passing
Roman Arena (alone) to face does, yet they starve to death
off with the lions aptly because they won’t eat the
labeled “blame”, “ram- animals. We are asked to
paging birth rates”, and give our grains to India to
“starving millions.” After feed their poor while their
all that the U.S. has done, it
is hard to swallow comments
that emerge from the World
Food Conference. Not only
has the U.S. provided food, Dr. Philip Handler, -
but the many other President of the National
programs like The Peace Academy of Science has
Corps, Aid for International stated, “Assistance which
Development, and the many barely keeps people alive
church organizations have and hungry will lead to more
provided financial, - population growth and
technical, medical, and
economic assistance; all
directly from the United
States.
American agriculture is
without a doubt, "the most
productive, the most capital
intensive, the most highly
mechanized, and altogether
the most industrial of all
modern industries" states
analyst Peter Drucker.
American agriculture has
done the almost impossible
in achieving fantastic yield
of grain and production
efficiency. American
agriculture has utilized its
know how in developing the
greatest country in the
world. But can she feed the
whole world??? That is very
large question when we
consider that two-thirds of
the world’s people are
malnourished or un
dernourished; 10,000 people
die each day in parts of
Africa; transportation of
food to some of these areas is
almost impossible because
of no organized tran
sportation system; and the
major problems encountered
in actual distribution of food
on large scale basis. And yet,
the United States is largely
blamed for the food shortage
around the world.
India has 50 percent more
cattle than the United States
Merry Christmas
and Sincere Wishes for a
- -wv ~~7y
cattle walk over their own
grain and do very little about
it. Can America be blamed
for this situtation???
tragedy later.” Instead of
using half-way measures of
solving starvation in parts of
the world, he suggests we
just write off some countries
like m South East Asis as
"hopeless” and concentrate
our efforts on helping other
countries. This attitude
makes us ask, Does he think
he is God? One of the
countries that seems to be m
dire need of assistance is
Bangladesh. The population
is 80 million, which is the
eighth largest in the world.
Recent floods have put the
country up against the wall
of starvation. Their crops
were destroyed, cattle gone,
and hope is dwindling. If the
following description is
revolting, so is the condition
of the people there. “One
little four-year old boy
weighed 12 pounds. His
spinal cord all but pushed
itself through the rubbery
skin of his deformed back. A
desperate, destitute family
of four recklessly throw their
bodies before an onrushing
train. A mother of six adds
rat poison to meal of rice,
ending the misery of another
hopeless family. A little boy
searches for some morsel of
food, finding a soggy crust of
bread in the garbage, he
returns it to his father, but it
is already too late. He has
it, '>
died.” (These excerpts are
from the World Vision, In
ternational Report of con
ditions in Bangladesh).
These are pitiful situations
but they are not rare. People
are dying by the thousands.
People are even too weak to
flight off the mildest case of
measels or a common cold.
The result is death.
Is the final answer for the
United States to take the
whole burden on its back and
try to feed the world??? Do
we forget the U.S. consumer
who’screams because food
prices have gone sky high
and would go even higher if
we try to feed the world? ? Do
we do as Dr. Handler
suggests and just play God
and forget some people and
leave them to die?? Is it just
possible that it would make
more sense to teach these
people how to produce their
food so that they can
Imaintain themselves??
After all an old Chinese
proverb says, “Give a man a
fish and he can have fod for a
. *&&&& Scours stop; calves bounce back.
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day. Teach a man how to fish
and he can have food for a
life.” Can we use the
tremendous technology that
we have developed in other
countries to help lift them
out of the throes of star
vation and death?? It is
necessary to take care of the
problem now so that people
don’t starve to death, but it si
also essential to look to find
an answer for the future
also.
There are many problems
encountered when people try
to solve a major problem.
The answers are not found
easily. But we must
definitely do something. The
U.S. has indeed done a great
deal and will continue to do
more even if she gets a slap
in the face instead of one on
the back. There are many
other countries that are
capable of helping out in this
great battle for humanity.
I have by no means found
the solution to this world
problem. Maybe I have
given you some food for
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thought. Maybe you’ll find
yourself giving financially to
some worthwhile
organization or church to
help. Maybe you’ll find
yourself upset greatly at
what happened to the
Americans at the World
Food Conference and decide
that America has done
enough for others and its
time to quit giving handouts
to others. Whatever you feel
you can not remain neutral’
Every individual as well as
every country must answer
that question, “Am I My
Brother’s Keeper”.
Submitted by Clifford Day
from Garden Spot High
School.
TRY A
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