How to solve world hunger with six billion dollars
Discussion
Okay so you might have heard about the challenge thrown to Elon Musk by a fellow in the UN, David Beasley. The CNN was eager to do someones bidding so reported the below and to which Musk replied:
This was also 'round the time where the "billionaires tax" on unrealised gains was proposed.
The CNN backtracked as they had innocently misquoted the interview, saying that $6b would only help solve world hunger. Then Beasley backtracked further, saying the sum would not be sufficient to end hunger but it would prevent geopolitical instability, save 42 million lives and stave off mass migration. According to CNN, 23.8 million of that 42 million are in Afghanistan. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/26/economy/musk-wo...
Anyway, the UN have now outlined their plan:
$3,5b to be spent on buying and delivering food
$2b to be distributed in cash and "food vouchers"
$700m to tailor food to regions
$400m on administration, operations management, supply chain coordination and accountability.
Apparently one of the problems the UN has is actually buying food - it's hard to find. Maybe they'd like to outbid others and "spread the love" of food scarcity?
Many would argue that Musk got a lot of help from governments around the world to get where he is right now - but did he twist those governments arms or otherwise mandate them to subsidise his products? But is throwing a billiionaires money into a bottomless pit the best use that capital? Is Musk not playing ball with the UN/WEF? Where's Bill Gates and Monsantos genetically engineered seeds? Bezos setting up Amazon warehouses providing free food production equipment to struggling regions? The UN in dealing with conflicts which disrupt countries to the extent that their people starve?
This was also 'round the time where the "billionaires tax" on unrealised gains was proposed.
The CNN backtracked as they had innocently misquoted the interview, saying that $6b would only help solve world hunger. Then Beasley backtracked further, saying the sum would not be sufficient to end hunger but it would prevent geopolitical instability, save 42 million lives and stave off mass migration. According to CNN, 23.8 million of that 42 million are in Afghanistan. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/26/economy/musk-wo...
Anyway, the UN have now outlined their plan:
$3,5b to be spent on buying and delivering food
$2b to be distributed in cash and "food vouchers"
$700m to tailor food to regions
$400m on administration, operations management, supply chain coordination and accountability.
Apparently one of the problems the UN has is actually buying food - it's hard to find. Maybe they'd like to outbid others and "spread the love" of food scarcity?
Many would argue that Musk got a lot of help from governments around the world to get where he is right now - but did he twist those governments arms or otherwise mandate them to subsidise his products? But is throwing a billiionaires money into a bottomless pit the best use that capital? Is Musk not playing ball with the UN/WEF? Where's Bill Gates and Monsantos genetically engineered seeds? Bezos setting up Amazon warehouses providing free food production equipment to struggling regions? The UN in dealing with conflicts which disrupt countries to the extent that their people starve?
Edited by rodericb on Saturday 20th November 03:18
b
hstewie said:
hstewie said: I don't know how accurate the figure is but if it was accurate that could be done with a click of most world leaders little fingers.
But what is the incentive to do so? As you say $6B is pennies for developed world governments, so what is the real reason it hasn't been done yet?Exactly.
And if you swamp a fragile developing economy with "free" grain, wheat, rice etc, it kills the market for subsistence farmers who rely on the sale of said staple to survive.
I'm pretty centre in my views, but surely the best strategy to help the hungry is for their governments to work properly, and establish stable economic conditions.
I'm surprised there isn't enough food though, as I thought the west held surplus food just to keep the price up (for farmers)
And if you swamp a fragile developing economy with "free" grain, wheat, rice etc, it kills the market for subsistence farmers who rely on the sale of said staple to survive.
I'm pretty centre in my views, but surely the best strategy to help the hungry is for their governments to work properly, and establish stable economic conditions.
I'm surprised there isn't enough food though, as I thought the west held surplus food just to keep the price up (for farmers)
glennjamin said:
Surely the idea would be to enable the Country's with hunger problems to be able to produce there own sustainable food supplies. Not just shipping in food. This won't be long term fix just putting a plaster on it.
Stop the 'Fairtrade' coffee and chocolate for a start. Make it undesirable for the farmers to grow cash crops and let them grow food instead. Another example of misguided good intentions causing more problems than they solve, all for guilt free soy-lattes.
LimaDelta said:
glennjamin said:
Surely the idea would be to enable the Country's with hunger problems to be able to produce there own sustainable food supplies. Not just shipping in food. This won't be long term fix just putting a plaster on it.
Stop the 'Fairtrade' coffee and chocolate for a start. Make it undesirable for the farmers to grow cash crops and let them grow food instead. Another example of misguided good intentions causing more problems than they solve, all for guilt free soy-lattes.
If we're talking misguided good intentions then food aid is usually one of the biggest destroyers of farming; local farmers can't exactly compete with 'free' so you kill the local industry when you need it most, except maybe for the most persistent subsistence ones growing for themselves.
The whole thing gives some rich paternalist saviours a warm feeling but you produce a population dependent on you forever.
Does Africa have access to land and water resources to support its population? In 1950 the population of Africa was 177m and today it's over 1.34bn although forecast growth rates to slow to 2.5bn by 2050.
I'd start by making the $6bn available for contraceptives and family planning, it seems to me that would probably have the highest impact on future poverty and famine (along with empowering women of course.)
Generally sub-Saharan Africa is one of the last areas of really high population growth on earth (along with a few 'stans.) Chinas population has probably peaked, Indias is at the replacement rate as are Latin America and the Carribbean. Most Western countries have a birth rate under the replacement rate for decades now.
As for the original article I think they should hire a better research team. It's clearly a gross underestimate of the costs involved in streamlining food production.
I'd start by making the $6bn available for contraceptives and family planning, it seems to me that would probably have the highest impact on future poverty and famine (along with empowering women of course.)
Generally sub-Saharan Africa is one of the last areas of really high population growth on earth (along with a few 'stans.) Chinas population has probably peaked, Indias is at the replacement rate as are Latin America and the Carribbean. Most Western countries have a birth rate under the replacement rate for decades now.
As for the original article I think they should hire a better research team. It's clearly a gross underestimate of the costs involved in streamlining food production.
pquinn said:
LimaDelta said:
glennjamin said:
Surely the idea would be to enable the Country's with hunger problems to be able to produce there own sustainable food supplies. Not just shipping in food. This won't be long term fix just putting a plaster on it.
Stop the 'Fairtrade' coffee and chocolate for a start. Make it undesirable for the farmers to grow cash crops and let them grow food instead. Another example of misguided good intentions causing more problems than they solve, all for guilt free soy-lattes.
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