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Bread: Life's Staple.

© Bob Ewing

One of the things that I find hardest to do is control my eating. I am a person with Type 2 Diabetes so controlling what I eat has become a major part of my daily Life. I find it a challenge and, while the choices, that I have in many restaurants ,is limited because I am also a vegetarian, I do not find it a distressing situation. I am eating healthy and have a renwed appreciation of what food and hunger mean.

This fits well with the work I do. I am an anti-poverty activist. Part of my work is to attend our bi-weekly Food Bank where I provide an ear for people who need someone to talk with. One of the things that I have noticed and the impetus for this week's article, is the fact that we often do not have enough bread to give each person a loaf. If this was an infrequent occurrence or if bread did not play such an important role in our diet, then I'd probably not give it a second thought. Bread is a staple of Life and our relationship with is has a lengthy history. Grain is still a major international commodity and one that is common to most countries.

On September 21, this year, the Food Bank provided food for 350 people, of this total 102 were children, age 12 and under. Malnutrition is more common in North America, than most of us like to think. Now take a few minutes to think about the impact that malnutrition has on the adults and children who do not get enough to eat? How is a child's school performance effected and what are their economic chances, if they cannot get a solid education?

I have made a commitment to working towards developing food security, not just for my own family, but on a local, national, and international level. There are many techniques and means to insure that everyone gets enough, healthy, natural food. We do not need to gene-splice or alter the DNA of plants in order to meet world food needs. All we are required to do, is to make the effort, to guarantee that within our communities, no one goes hungry ,and accept that all people have the right to food. Everything else will follow.