I’ve been thinking a lot about food while on the road – half because I’m always hungry, and half because it’s something to do to pass the time. It’s amazing how all-consuming the thought of “food” can be. Every day, questions like, “When will I eat? Where will I eat? What will I eat?” form a constant, ridiculous baseline tattoo below all my other thoughts.
The fact that I’m constantly thinking about food while having immediate access to it makes me hyper aware of how all-consuming the idea of “food” must be for people in poor nations where food security isn’t a given. What must it be like to be a woman my age in the Horn of Africa, where millions of people go hungry every day? She’s not worried about finding the perfect balance of carbohydrates, electrolytes and proteins, but in meeting the most basic caloric requirement neccessary to keep her heart beating and her limbs moving. She’s probably (statistically) not only responsible for feeding herself, but also for finding food for others in her family. If I am this consumed – even though I know there’s no WAY I’m going to go hungry – she must be desperate.
Food security is one of the most basic human needs, and a cause for significant volatility when it is not met. In 2008, when world food prices rose, food riots destabilized country after country, including Mexico – just a few miles away from where I’m sleeping tonight. Food insecurity provides terrorist groups with an easy way to take advantage of distress and win support for their own causes. Violent groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban all make a point of providing food to the poor. Improving food security in vulnerable places isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s also a smart way to undercut the ability of violent groups to take advantage of hungry people who are desperate.
My day started with pancakes and Clif Bars and ended with Texas BBQ. I’m not exactly hurting for calories here. But for those who are – and there are lots and lots of people out there who are – the United States can help. By investing small amounts in smart programs that help people feed themselves, and by reforming aid and trade policies to encourage local agriculture and sustainable economies, we can give a woman in the Horn of Africa the opportunity to stop thinking about where her next meal is coming from and start thinking about… whatever she wants to think about.
If you’re interested in learning more about food security and the crises in the Horn of Africa, check out USAID’s impressive FWD Campaign.
