Mercy Global Concern - 2002

Announcement:

October 16th - World Food Day

October 16th was designated over 50 years ago as World Food Day. In view of the hunger, which claims lives in many of the world's poorest countries, October 16th might more appropriately be called "World Hunger Day". Martin Mc Laughlin from the Center for Concern (www.coc.org) in his book World Food Security emphasizes that although there is enough food produced worldwide to feed everyone adequately, too little of it reaches the residents of many developing countries.

Much of the blame for this state of affairs can be laid at the door of the big transnational corporations, driven as they are by profit rather than concern for the common good. Indeed, a reflection of the imbalance is seen in the high levels of over consumption in the industrialized nations. The World Health Organization has found that "overeating is the fastest growing form of malnourishment in the world".

At the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome, the world's leaders pledged to reduce by half the number of hungry people by the year 2015. At our present rate of progress this will not happen until 2066. The reason- lack of political will.