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Ending hunger, a micro response

© Bob Ewing

Last week, I put forward the concept that the way to end hunger is to end poverty. I believe that there is much truth in this idea but the simplicity of the words belie the complexity of the path. I feel that it is easier to approach this from a micro level (individual and community) than from a macro (society or global) level.

Our perception of food and how it makes its way to our table gives us a place to begin understanding how we can reduce hunger and eliminate poverty. You see this is a situation that can be solved by increasing our awareness of the role plants play in our economy and how we can work with plants to both eliminate hunger and poverty, at the same time. The way this begins is by changing our attitude towards food as the first step, rather than seeing it as a commodity that we purchase at the grocery store, we need to understand where food comes from and how it gets to the table. This opens our eyes to other possibilities from growing our own food, to forming food buying clubs and other food-based cooperatives.

This week we'll look at methods other than buying food from the grocery store, that enable us to feed ourselves and create a cash flow. Perhaps, the best way to get the community invovled in hunger issues is to run a Grow a Row campaign. People can donate the surplus they grow or plan to grow to a local food bank or other food project. Programs, such as The Good Food Box, can provide the members of the program with fresh food and vegetables throughout the growing season for a relatively low price while providing a local farmer or farmers with a market. The food box is either delivered to the member or picked up at a central location. The members and they may even meet. This personalizes the operation and encourages the buy local concept.

Community Shared Agriculture operates on a similar principle but can be more expensive and has the potential risk that if the CSA crops fail, your food supply is jeopardized. This reality increase the member's awareness of the relationship between the farm , the weather and food production and what a bad year really means.

Gleaning takes people into the farmer's fields where they can pick their own. This enables people who can't afford fresh produce to trade a few hours labour for fresh food. If you operate a gleaning project you may want to consider opening a community kitchen where the members can learn how to prepare what they pick. If you can include lessons in caning and preserving then you are empowering people to provide for themselves. Gleaning also frees up income from food purchasing so that it can meet other needs.

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