What I’m Thinking This Week

In Our Neighborhood

Our house shook slightly when this tree was cut down Wednesday morning.
The photo was taken from my front porch.

The Ann Arbor government does take care of things in our neighborhood! An old and probably dangerous tree across the street has been cut down, ground up in the wood chipper, and taken away by city workers. In the local park a few blocks away, we have been observing a building project which resulted in an impressive solar array. It will provide power for the nearby senior center, and also provide a charging station for electric cars. 

A total of three million dollars, partly from Federal Stimulus funds, was allocated to build solar generators in several city parks and at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market. This one has a nearly 30-kilowatt capacity. The allocated cost was $120,000, plus a 20-kilowatt backup battery for $56,000 and installation work for one EV charger for $8,000. (source)

Thinking About the Eclipse of the Sun

With any luck — and weather permitting — I will be. able to watch the eclipse of the sun next Monday afternoon at a location near Indianapolis. I’ll post photos if we get any! Meanwhile, I’m sharing my thoughts on several other subjects with the participants in Deb’s weekend blog event at Readerbuzz.

Thinking About American Freedom

Forces in our society oppose many freedoms that we once believed were secure. President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined four freedoms in a famous speech in 1941, which I’ve talked about in several earlier blog posts. I think that all four of them are endangered:

• Freedom of speech is endangered because instead of peaceful protests, many activists have begun disrupting and threatening those who disagree with them. This is especially notable in the behavior of those who oppose Israel and support Hamas. It’s particularly shocking on college campuses. See this article: “The Appalling Tactics of the ‘Free Palestine’ Movement” by Bret Stephens.
• Freedom of worship is endangered by widely increasing coercion in public schools in many states to include Christian beliefs and prayers. Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and fear and hatred of non-believers also pressure Americans who do not satisfy some people’s wish for national religious conformity. “We must make America pray again,” former president Donald Trump said recently.
• Freedom from want, another important Roosevelt guarantee, is being undermined by discontinuation  of many important financial benefits that were helping people to afford food and shelter. Increasingly many Americans are living in poverty.
• Freedom from fear is denied to transgender and other non-conforming individuals by new discriminatory policies in schools and other public venues. Freedom from fear is also denied to many women whose reproductive choices are being narrowed by the anti-abortion and anti-family-planning forces. These tendencies are reinforced by the Supreme Court’s series of appalling decisions.

This rejection of historic American values takes many forms, and I’ve barely summarized how bad things are getting.

Thinking About the War in Ukraine

 

“Ukraine’s army of about one million soldiers is fighting the largest war in Europe since World War II, waged in muddy trenches or the ruins of cities in urban combat. Casualty rates are high” (source) 

The people of Ukraine are suffering just as much now as they were a few months ago — maybe more. However, other world events have distracted attention from this unjust war. I feel distracted. I don’t follow this news as much as before. But the independence of this determined country is just as important as ever.

Thinking About the War In Israel 

As the war goes on, I am becoming sadder and sadder at the brutality and inhumanity. The attack by Israeli forces that killed seven aid workers trying to feed the starving people of Gaza horrified me, because I have generally been in favor of Israel’s need to defend itself from perpetual attacks by Hamas and other forces.

These words from José Andrés, the famous chef and the founder and head of World Central Kitchen, whose workers were killed while attempting to deliver food to starving people in the war zone, impressed me with their wisdom and generosity:

”We know Israelis. Israelis, in their heart of hearts, know that food is not a weapon of war.

“Israel is better than the way this war is being waged. It is better than blocking food and medicine to civilians. It is better than killing aid workers who had coordinated their movements with the Israel Defense Forces.

“It is not a sign of weakness to feed strangers; it is a sign of strength. The people of Israel need to remember, at this darkest hour, what strength truly looks like” — José Andrés: Let People Eat, New York Times, April 3, 2024.

An article by Fred Kaplan writing in Slate summarizes the situation:

“Israel’s attack on three vehicles of the World Central Kitchen—which has fed thousands of war victims and refugees in Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, and other areas in crisis—was unpardonable, whatever the findings of an official investigation into how it took place. In any case, it has prompted WCK and other aid groups to suspend operations in Gaza—where, even with the relief efforts, hunger and sanitary conditions are nearing catastrophic levels. …

 

“Israel is not the only obstacle to aid getting through to Gazans. There have been reports that Hamas gunmen have intercepted food deliveries meant for Gazan civilians. Early on in the war, one Hamas leader said the terrorist organization, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has no obligation to protect civilians in Gaza—that’s a matter, he said, for the U.N.”

Events in the last 24 hours have been rapid and possibly game-changing. Biden has made demands, and it’s a matter of time to see the response. I hope a real chance of peace and justice emerges, and that some progress can occur on hostage negotiations, so far refused by Hamas.

Blog post and original photos © 2024 mae sander

Shared with Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz.

 

“Hail to thee, Blythe Spirit”

Zhavoronki — Ukrainian Lark Buns

We enjoyed a beautiful dinner with the family at Carol’s house a few days ago. She had been curious to try making Zhavoronki — traditional Ukrainian bread rolls shaped like little skylarks. We all were enthusiastic about her creations, and enjoyed eating them along with several other dishes. The conversation was lively, and we had fun.

The first course was spring pea and mint soup to eat with the Lark Buns.

Carol made a broccoli quiche, and Jason made an asparagus quiche, which we ate with salad.

I was drinking wine, but I loved this beer label:
“Critterless” — Beer with critters!

Short’s is a Michigan brewery and pub.

Thoughts on Lark Buns

The Eurasian Skylark, for which the Lark Buns are named, is a beloved bird throughout Europe. The British Trust for Ornithology says it’s “one of our most celebrated birds, in literature, poetry, art and music.” I am not aware of having seen skylarks in my birding travels in Europe, but the description that I read is that this bird sings beautifully while it is flying, and sometimes you can hear it but not see it. (We had a brief sighting in Hawaii, where this species has been introduced.)

A skylark from the BTO website (source)

Carol’s cute little Zhavoronki made me think of the much more lofty sentiment of Shelley’s “Ode to a Skylark.” Or at least think of the first and most memorable stanza of this famous poem, which is in fact very long. April is National Poetry Month in the US — so it’s appropriate to quote a poem:

Ode to a Skylark 

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!

Bird thou never wert,

That from Heaven, or near it,

Pourest thy full heart

In profuse strains of unpremeditated art

More About Lark Buns

The traditions of Ukrainian lark buns are documented at Atlas Obscura here. One tradition is that the lark buns commemorate martyrs. Alas, Ukraine has far to many martyrs recently. I write this with hopes that the Ukrainians will soon prevail in the defense of their country.

Blog post and original photos © 2024 mae sander

A New Year is coming: let it be better than this one.

Birding allows me to enjoy the beauty of the natural world.
Yet anyone who appreciates the natural world has a lot to worry about.
This bird, the kingfisher, has long been a symbol of calm weather, peace, and love.

The Planet is in Trouble!

What is important to me this year? Global human and natural welfare are fragile. The future looks uncertain. My focus leans towards the US because that’s where I live, and I see many causes for concern, serious concern. Many of the issues that I worry about are closely linked to one another. And there are so many of them!

• Climate change as an existential threat to humanity: arriving rapidly and causing a number of types of deprivation, desperation, natural disasters, and dysfunction in societies, especially causing food scarcity and famine or near-famine in the global south.
• The war in Israel and the dreadful consequences if Hamas is not defeated.
• Antisemitism in American life and on US university campuses — brought out by the war in Israel, but obviously evoked, not caused by the war.
• Increasing inequality (both socio-economic and racial) throughout the US with a variety of bad consequences, combined with right wing repression of women’s rights and minority rights.
• The war in Ukraine and the looming dominance of Russia as a consequence of a bad end to the war. 
• Food shortages in many third world countries (much of it due to climate change) forcing large numbers of people to crowd into already overburdened cities and often to attempt migration to the global north.
• Political success by the extreme right wing in many places. The large numbers of desperate people wanting to enter North American and European countries is one factor in growing right-wing strength in the global north.
• Degradation of educational institutions in the US: a complex and multi-faceted issue.
• The threat to world peace implicit in almost every one of the above issues.
• In the US, we are also threatened with the end of democracy and the completion of a right-wing takeover of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the Federal government.

Notice that I don’t have any mention of AI or of any type of rampant and out-of-human-control technology on the list. I’m not very worked up about AI — maybe that will prove to be all wrong. And although I’m very interested in how our food choices and consumer choices collectively impact human life, my concerns for the future are expressed in a more general way. Similarly, fears that treasured creatures such as some species of birds, bats, frogs, polar bears, rhinos, fish, monarch butterflies, and many more may go extinct (or lose their natural habitat and exist only in captivity) is intrinsic in the concern about climate change. As the New Year approaches, all these thoughts perplex me.

Sunrise on one of the shortest days of the year. We hope things will start to look better.

I've also reread a mystical novel based on Jewish traditions and folklore:
The World to Come by Dara Horn. Reading good books: another cosolation.

Blog post © 2023 mae sander

Shared with Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz 

and with Eileen's Saturday Critters 

Kitchen Thoughts for July 2023

In My Kitchen This Month

Another quiet month with lots of home cooking but not much new in my home and kitchen. The only real cooking challenge was a multi-day power failure. Fortunately for us, we installed a natural-gas generator several years ago, because summer thunderstorms and winter ice emergencies routinely take out the electric lines. Only part of our house is powered by the generator, though: the electric stove is not generator-powered. Consequently, I had to make meals in the microwave, the toaster oven, or other small appliances Believe me, I am very aware at how lucky we are to have what we do have, in comparison to neighbors without power, and to many others throughout the world. NO complaints!

While my culinary month is quiet, food issues of national and international importance have been in the news in July. Various events and official actions will have a large impact on worldwide food policies and global hunger. So in this post, I’ll just describe my own food happenings a little bit and then proceed with a summary of several important current events.

Cooking

We enjoyed lots of fresh fruit.

Celebrating Paris in July, I made one French dish: classic ratatouille from the cookbook by
French chef Raymond Olivier. My usual recipe -- very similar -- is from Julia Child (blogged here).

Many more Asian dishes included these stir-fried snow peas.

Summer barbecue time: grilled chicken thighs, pineapple and red bell pepper — really delicious!

And once we made hamburgers with all the usual fixings.

Beautiful Serving Pieces (I wish they were mine)

I don’t have any new kitchen tools or serving pieces this month, so I thought I would
share some images from the 20th century collections of the Detroit Art Institute.
I love this silver tea service from 1938 by designer Harry Bertoia.

Also from the DIA: this Still Life by Jean Metzinger from 1925.
Coffee, liqueur, an apple, and (an item you’ll never get in my kitchen) cigars.

Finally, from the DIA, this Viennese liqueur set from 1909-1916.

Issues and Problems of our Threatened World

Food and Politics in the USA

Congress is working on a reauthorization or revision of the 2018 farm bill, which controls many aspects of agriculture and which provides US government assistance for food-insecure families. Federal programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and emergency food assistance programs that supply families and food banks are all on the line. The existing farm bill expires in September, so either a complete new farm bill or an extension of some sort must happen soon. Individuals and organizations that deal with hunger in our society are pressuring for improved government support for nutrition programs, and other interests, such as big agriculture, are competing for allocation of federal money.  Here is the previous allocation:

Ultra-Processed Food and More Politics

A controversy about ultra-pasteurized food has emerged from a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This report shows that global hunger is an extreme problem, but slight progress in decreasing food insecurity has been made this year. The study also suggests that a better diet for people around the globe would include less ultra-processed food. Food manufacturers are objecting to the critique of ultra-processed foods because they make lots of money by selling them — to say it in the most simple way.  The FAO report states:

“Healthy diets are essential for achieving food security goals and improving nutritional outcomes. A healthy diet…is based on a wide range of unprocessed or minimally processed foods, balanced across food groups, while it restricts the consumption of highly processed foods and drink products.” (source)

And another controversy, this one about artificial sweetener. As readers of this blog may know, I do love Diet Coke and drink a can of it for lunch often, which is moderate consumption. You probably are aware of  a pronouncement from yet another UN organization, this time the World Health Organization, which has called out Aspartame, the key to the flavor of Diet Coke. This report calls Aspartame a possible but not proved carcinogen. 

NOTE: I’M NOT LISTENING. I will continue to drink Diet Coke.

Drought and War: Bad News for Global Food Supplies 

A parched corn crop (source)

Michigan, where I live, is not experiencing a severe heat wave this month, but other parts of the country and much of the world are suffering from terribly hot weather, bad enough to threaten crops and jeopardize the world’s food supply:

"Successive heatwaves threaten nature’s ability to provide us with food, say researchers, as they warn of an 'unseen, silent dying' in our oceans amid record temperatures scorching the Earth. … The climate crisis doesn’t just increase atmospheric heatwaves but oceanic ones too, harming coastal communities and threatening another key food source for humans. Heat stress causes dramatic die-offs, such as the 2021 'heat dome' along Canada’s Pacific coast, which killed an estimated 1 billion marine animals." (source)

Besides natural disasters, the war in Ukraine has taken an ugly turn, with Russia withdrawing its promise to allow essential grain shipments to continue to supply food to a large number of dependent countries. This too threatens the world food supply:

"Russia unleashed drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s export infrastructure [on July 17], including silos containing hundreds of tons of grain and vital port structures. … The effect of these Russian attacks is to make it harder for Ukraine to resume shipments if and when current or future diplomatic efforts to revive the agreement from which Moscow withdrew succeed. World grain prices rose 17 percent in eight days after Russia pulled out." (source)

Escape!

Neil Gaiman's Good Omens 2.
Great series, new this week, binged all 6 episodes already.

 

 

Blog post © 2023 mae sander

Shared with Sherry’s In My Kitchen, and Elizabeth’s Tea Party.

World Water Day 2023

Fresh water: a diminishing global resource. (Source: National Geographic)

Global Reality in 2023 from Pure Water for the World:

• 1 in 4 people on our planet lacks reliable access to safely managed drinking water.
• Waterborne illnesses continue to be a leading cause of death, with an estimated 829,000 people dying each year from water-related diarrheal illnesses.

Drinking water: something that’s easy to assume is always available. Yes, a few American cities have viciously caused their citizens to be denied this essential need, such as Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi. However, most of us in the US don’t give drinking water a second thought. The unfortunate fact is that one quarter of the world’s population lack safe drinking water. 

This week is the United Nations’ World Water Day, March 23. The official website describes the global situation:

“Dysfunction throughout the water cycle is undermining progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, disasters to peace. … Billions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms and factories are being held back because their human rights to water and sanitation have not yet been fulfilled.”

Catastrophes Cause Water Crises

Wars, earthquakes, overcrowded cities, and many other misfortunes result in a lack of safe water for drinking and all other purposes. Although it’s been over a month since the earthquake in Turkey, clean water remains a serious problem for the huge number of people whose homes and cities were reduced to rubble. Relief efforts have brought drinking water to some areas; others are still in great need, such as the province of Hatay (source). Relief organizations include the Planet Water Foundation:

“Planet Water Foundation, a leading non-profit organization focused on providing access to clean, safe water, is deploying 12 of its disaster response water filtration systems in Türkiye as the country continues calls for global support to provide drinking water to earthquake damaged communities.”

 

Water was airlifted to Turkish earthquake survivors. (source)

The war in Ukraine has caused severe disruption of the supplies of safe water for the battle-ground cities. While some damage to water resources is a side-effect of the fighting, Russian invaders are also inflicting intentional damage on water resources as well as on other infrastructure. Some consequences of the fighting: “flooding of large areas due to dam breaches, pollution from untreated waste water spills, dumped ammunition, an increase in mine water levels, and a significant decline in the quantity and quality of water for drinking and agricultural purposes.” (Source: https://phys.org/news/2023-03-war-ukraine-threatens-freshwater-resources.html)

In Ukraine: collecting drinking water from a distribution point (source: NYT)

Climate Change and Water Supplies

“Climate change is already affecting water access for people around the world, causing more severe droughts and floods. Increasing global temperatures are one of the main contributors to this problem. Climate change impacts the water cycle by influencing when, where, and how much precipitation falls. It also leads to more severe weather events over time. Increasing global temperatures cause water to evaporate in larger amounts, which will lead to higher levels of atmospheric water vapor and more frequent, heavy, and intense rains in the coming years.” (Source: National Geographic)

 Blog post © 2023 mae sander. Photos as credited.

Shared with Elizabeth’s weekly blog party.

Heroes, Villains, and Martyrs of 2022

Happy New Year, 2023!

The past year has seen a number of heroes, villains, and outright monsters in the news. In my other blog about heroes my annual post is about a few who stood out, and I'm duplicating this blog post here, with a few additions.

Michigan Local Hero

Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan.

Two retiring heroes, may we long remember them:

Nancy Pelosi and Anthony Fauci

From the Washington Post:

"Dr. Fauci turned into the country’s family doctor, capable of convincing any given president of the correct course of action and then selling the nation on the president’s decision: on AIDS, on bioterrorism, on Ebola and, finally, on covid-19."

From the NY Times:

"In her two decades leading House Democrats, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California has been one of the most powerful and iconic women in Washington. When she was sworn in as speaker in 2007, surrounded by the children of members of Congress, she became the first woman to serve in that post. And over the years, Ms. Pelosi was often photographed as the lone woman in rooms full of men, even after the ranks of Congress became more diverse." 

Hero of the year: Volodymyr Zelensky: May he be victorious in 2023

Monsters and Villains

A quote from Robert Reich:

“Trump, Bankman-Fried and Musk are the monsters of American capitalism – as much products of this public-be-damned era as they are contributors to it. For them, and for everyone who still regards them as heroes, there is no morality in business or economics. The winnings go to the most ruthless. Principles are for sissies.

“But absent any moral code, greed is a public danger. Its poison cannot be contained by laws or accepted norms.” (source)

If only we would be allowed to forget our most terrible and persistent villain whose latest stunts include increased support of antisemites and continuing racism.

"Will Trump finally be held accountable?" By Ann Telnaes, Washington Post, December 19, 2022.

And one accidental martyr who behaved bravely:

Brittney Griner, held hostage by the evil Russians.

New York Times: Most Underestimated

Joe Biden. Again.

This year’s policy wins included the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the first major gun safety legislation in decades, an overhaul of the Electoral Count Act and a law to protect same-sex and interracial marriage. As promised, he put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. And, as the midterms heated up, he kept his head down as the Republicans’ red wave shrank to more of a pink dribble. You have to give the boring, moderate, pragmatic old guy his due. (source)

Blog post © 2022 mae sander

Watching a Hero for Our Time

Wednesday night we watched Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he addressed a joint meeting of Congress. His leadership of the Ukrainian struggle against the Russian invasion and destructive campaign to destroy his country has become legendary. I have read a few of the reactions to this powerful and moving speech:

“We have artillery, yes, thank you. … Is it enough? Honestly, not really.... Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.” (Washington Post)

-- images from the Washington Post.

President Biden, at a joint news conference with Zelensky, stated:

“We understand in our bones that Ukraine’s fight is part of something much bigger.... The American people know if we stand by with such blatant attacks on democracy and liberty … the world would surely face worse consequences.” (Washington Post)

 

More About Zelensky's Speech

Columnist David Frum in the Atlantic wrote an article titled "Zelensky Recalled Us to Ourselves: He came to thank the U.S. for supporting Ukraine. It is Americans who should thank him." Frum wrote about the Congressional and national reception of Zelensky: 

"The extremists and conspiracists and populists, the authoritarians and kleptocrats and theocrats who have all gained so much ascendancy in recent years, they do not speak for us. That small man in the olive-green jersey at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, he spoke for us. And the reception given to him today by the president and by Congress told the world that his words had been heard and received and understood by the great democracy-minded majority of Americans.

“'So much in the world depends on you.' Sometimes, Americans forget that.

"Zelensky reminded us. He came to say thank you. It’s a little embarrassing to hear that thanks, because what Americans gave, fundamentally, was just money. Zelensky’s people have given blood, home, comfort, and security—every precious thing that human beings can sacrifice. The answer we owe Zelensky, the answer Zelensky should hear from this country, revived by his visit, his cause, and his country’s heroic fight, is: No, no, no—thank you." (The Atlantic)

What will happen next? The New York Times summarized the prospects for the continuation of war in an article titled "As Ukraine Prepares for a Second Year at War, the Prospect of a Stalemate Looms: American officials believe that with Russia bolstering defenses and learning lessons, Ukraine will find it more challenging to retake land." According to the article:

"With Mr. Zelensky’s arrival in Washington, the Biden administration announced a new $1.8 billion arms package that would send one Patriot air defense battery to Ukraine, along with precision-guided munitions for fighter jets and other weaponry. Since the start of the war in February, the United States has sent more than $20 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

"The package presented on Wednesday will include air defense batteries and precision-guided bombs for the first time. But even more weaponry for ground units will be needed to avoid a stalemate in the months to come, according to lawmakers and outside experts." (The New York Times)

I'm sure that within a few hours there will be many more articles about the war, about Zelensky's leadership, and about the declining support by right-wing extremists in the US for this critical international effort. My thoughts are with the Ukrainian people whose welfare has been destroyed by the Russian war on their existence. Zelensky invoked the image of Christmas without heat, electric power, or running water. I hope in the New Year we will continue to support the Ukrainian struggle to achieve victory.

Blog post by mae sander for maefood.blogspot.com 

 

Our World: Hunger in 2022

As the year comes to an end, I'm thinking about food insecurity of people in every part of the world. I feel very helpless, as do many others, in the face of so much suffering. Here are some of the issues I've been thinking about, as the coming end of the year brings me thoughts of the present and of the future.

History

December 2022 marks the 90th anniversary of the horrific famine in Ukraine in 1932. Millions of Ukrainians, as well as Russians, died as a result of Stalin's policies. 

"The Ukrainian famine—known as the Holodomor, a combination of the Ukrainian words for 'starvation' and 'to inflict death' —by one estimate claimed the lives of 3.9 million people, about 13 percent of the population. And, unlike other famines in history caused by blight or drought, this was caused when a dictator wanted both to replace Ukraine’s small farms with state-run collectives and punish independence-minded Ukrainians who posed a threat to his totalitarian authority." (source)

 Is history repeating itself? 

Market stalls in Donetsk, Ukraine, after Russian shelling, December 6, 2022. (source)

Is Russia again starving the Ukrainians? Unfortunately the answer is yes, and the current Russian war of conquest is not only affecting millions of Ukrainians directly, by destroying their homes, medical facilities, and infrastructure, but is also creating hunger in other parts of the world.

"As the producer of roughly a fifth of the world’s high-grade wheat, Ukraine has historically played an outsized role in the global food supply. The ongoing war has caused prices for grains to soar around the world and threatened to put millions of people in countries dependent on Ukraine’s food exports in danger. 

 "The number of people around the world facing acute food insecurity greatly increased from 135 million in 2019 to 193 million in 2021. Last year, nearly 40 million people experienced emergency levels of acute food insecurity, which is just one step away from famine, and these figures are projected to worsen for 2022." (source)

Hunger throughout the World

Several authoritative reports confirm the depressing facts of increase in world food insecurity. Images of hunger are especially haunting; here are a few of them from various websites of international and charitable agencies.

From Feeding America

“Nationwide, more than 33 million people, including five million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA. No community is spared, with rural areas, families with children and communities of color disproportionately affected.” (source: NPR)

"This year’s Global Hunger Index (GHI) brings us face to face with a grim reality. The toxic cocktail of conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic had already left millions exposed to food price shocks and vulnerable to further crises. Now the war in Ukraine—with its knock-on effects on global supplies of and prices for food, fertilizer, and fuel—is turning a crisis into a catastrophe." (Global Hunger Index)

Several international agencies offer statistical and analytic information about global hunger. The FAO report, "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022" summarizes the situation thus:

"This year’s report should dispel any lingering doubts that the world is moving backwards in its efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. ... The intensification of the major drivers behind recent food insecurity and malnutrition trends (i.e. conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks) combined with the high cost of nutritious foods and growing inequalities will continue to challenge food security and nutrition. This will be the case until agrifood systems are transformed, become more resilient and are delivering lower cost nutritious foods and affordable healthy diets for all, sustainably and inclusively." (source) 

On December 19, 2022, the British weekly The Economist released the 2022 Global Food Security Index (GFSI) report (link). This is the most up-to-date information I can find, which shows the third consecutive year of continued deterioration in the global food environment. Here is a brief summary. 

• Globally, the overall food environment is continuing to weaken, and it is very vulnerable to shocks.
• Food throughout the world has become less affordable because of inflation in food prices, declining freedom of trade, and reduced funding for food safety nets.
• Inequity among countries continues to increase. Of the ten most secure nations, eight are in Europe, and the others are Japan and Canada. 

Another summary of the reversal of the optimistic trend — an apparent reduction in global hunger — which seemed to be happening a few years ago: 

"This subsequent stalled progress reflects structural issues and significant risks in the global food system, which include, but are not limited to, volatility in agricultural production, scarcity of natural resources, increasing economic inequality, and trade and supply-chain volatility." (source)

Is there hope for the future?

Current predictions for anything but more global hunger seem pessimistic. Remedies involve distribution of diminishing worldwide supplies to large numbers of people in places that are unable to produce enough to feed their populations. The underlying realities of climate change, destructive war, and an overall downturn in the worldwide economy all seem overwhelming. A few optimistic endeavors, such as effort to reduce food waste, seem ineffective in the face of these global trends. The growing crisis of masses of refugees from starvation clearly is a result of devastating crop failures and possibly irreversible change.

As one individual with limited resources and little political voice, there's not much I can do except try to stay informed about this depressing trend in global human welfare, and contribute money to organizations that have at least a limited level of positive impact.

Blog post © 2022 mae sander

Photos as credited.