World hunger--the public policy connection

We debate the role of public policy in the creation or elimination of human misery. Usually, on this page, the context is urban and domestic.

Recently, while making a presentation to a local church group on what ordinary people can do to "seek justice and do compassion," an audience member erupted with the one-word expletive, "Bull!" As a matter of fact, the gentleman shouted his disgust twice.

He had been offended by my example of how American farm policy contributes to the growth of poverty, hunger and pain among West African cotton farmers.

I was attempting to make a couple of points.

First, our world is more interconnected than ever before in its history.

Second, ordinary citizens can change and help shape public policy in ways that can make a real difference in the lives of other ordinary citizens of other nations half-way around the world.

Sunday morning, I read the front page article in The New York Times concerning the mounting world food shortage brought about in part by the abandonment of agricultural research and development assistance on the part of the world's developed nations, including the United States ("World’s Poor Pay Price as Crop Research Is Cut," KEITH BRADSHER and ANDREW MARTIN).

Read the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/business/worldbusiness/18focus.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1211121630-AB0B/cwZguhJMD8ma1f3pg (or simply click on my title line above).

Tell me what you think.

Applying moral principles to public policy formation is more important today than ever before, both here at home and around the planet.

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