Silent Tsunami

I was informed that my blog feels abandoned so I will write about something that I have been reading about lately.

Have you heard the term Silent Tsunami this week? That is what the UN (who I don't always agree with or think is the best organization in the world, but I like their term so I'm going to use it) is labeling the global food crisis that is going on. They state that an extra 100 million people are now facing poverty throughout the world. So, what is going on? According to an article at www.bbc.com one reason is that the cost of rice has increased 68% in the last 4 months. That is a huge increase! Also, the cost of soybeans, corn and wheat is also increasing dramatically. This is stretching people to their limits in countries where the majority of their income is spent putting food on the table. Some comments I have read this week: We no longer can afford 3 meals per day...breakfast no longer exists for us...families in Bangladesh are existing on one meager meal per day...troops are being used in the Philippines to protect rice deliveries.

So, why is the price of food increasing? I've read many theories this week. Higher fuel costs, bad weather, drought, increase in land (corn crops) allocated to bio-fuels, surge in food demand. I've read so many different theories that I now believe no one really knows why this is happening. The scary thing is that based on the reports I have read the organizations that aid people during crises are not prepared for this. There just is not enough money or food to go around.

What can I do? That question has also been on my mind this week. I'm not a large nation with millions of dollars available to donate to organizations. I'm not even a wealthy individual that can give a large donation. All I am is a working, middle class, debt ridden, single woman.

What can I do? I think I can contribute in small ways. I went grocery shopping Monday night. When I got home I cleaned out my refrigerator. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I threw away a lot of food. Things I bought that spoiled because I never ate them. So, the first thing I plan to do is to actually use the food I buy and not be so wasteful. Today i considered how often I eat out during the week. I spend on average $10 per meal. Most weeks I eat out 5 - 6 meals. $50 - $60 per week. $2600 - $3120 per year. That money would feed a lot of people. So, instead of eating out as much I plan to eat at home and take my lunch to work. All the money I save can be donated to a reputable organization to help feed the hungry. Will this save the world from starvation? No, definitely not. But, it can possibly make a difference in one or two people's lives.