Have you watched this?
Super powerful, right?
Did you know that Heifer International was started from the idea of one man? Dan West, Heifer’s founder, saw a problem and envisioned a solution. Over time, that idea evolved into a model that has helped 13.6 million families lift themselves out of hunger and poverty.
What if you had the next idea?
Dan West lived way before the Internet. Way before institutions like the World Bank asked the question: What’s YOUR Solution?
Some of those ideas sound familiar? Access to technology. Reducing waste. Safety nets. Storage capabilities. Research and extension linkages. Empowerment of small-scale farmers. Increase food productivity.
These are things Heifer does. So what does this mean? It means we’re on the right track, but there is always room for new ideas. Head over to World Bank’s website, read through the ideas already posted, and post your own. Participate in their Open Forum: Food Crisis April 14-15. And post your ideas here!
I posted a blog in February about one way I think everyone could help. After reading a news story about the world population soon reaching nine billion, and the growing problem of hunger. If we all cut back on meat consumption, especially beef, it could go a long way. The amount of grains it takes to feed one cow could feed many people.
Todd. I couldn't agree more; this is a great idea. I read your blog post, and it made me nostalgic for my own college days. It was as a sophomore in college that I first started learning about and understanding how my own food choices effect the bigger picture. I like your plan–-not to necessarily quit eating meat, but to quit eating the types of meat (commercially-raised beef, as you mention) that are harmful to the environment and that displace resources–-grains–-that could otherwise be consumed as food by others.
We've just gotten so far from the sustainable use of livestock in the United States. Humans eat meat because animals are able to break down things like grass and convert it into protein, which is something our bodies cannot do. When we began feeding our livestock grains that we could be eating, we started down a slippery slope.
Every purchase you make and every bite of food you take does matter. I struggled with convincing my family of this, and they're still not convinced. Still want to eat beef? Look for local farmers who are raising their cattle on grass. There are ways to opt out of the status-quo when it comes to eating meat.
By the way, you might consider being a summer volunteer at one of our Learning Centers: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201510/
It changed my life.