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Hungry and homeless don't voteAs 2007 comes to a close and I look forward to spending time with my family celebrating the birth of Jesus, I do not for one minute overlook the essentials of life that come easy for us. Not one day in my life have I wondered how I would get enough food to survive until the next day. Not once have I struggled to find a roof over my head. I am thinking about how fortunate I am because, for 21 consecutive years, the U.S. mayors' conference takes place in December and they evaluate hunger and homelessness in the United States. Much to my surprise, I assume, they have uncovered yet another upward trend in homelessness and hunger. At their press conference, spokesmen indicated that: "During the last year, members of households with children made up 23 percent of persons using emergency shelter and transitional housing programs in survey cities, while single individuals made up 76 percent. Only 1 percent of persons in these programs were unaccompanied youth. "Although 87 percent of our nation's wealth is generated in our nation's cities, hunger and homelessness persists in most of our country's cities and urban centers," said Conference President Trenton, N.J. Mayor Douglas Palmer. Interestingly enough this announcement came the very same week that the United Nations is sounding a bell, globally. Jacques Diouf, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, said there is a "very serious risk that fewer people will be able to get food," as prices soar and supplies dwindle. "World wheat stores declined 11 percent this year, to the lowest level since 1980. That corresponds to 12 weeks of the world's total consumption--much less than the average of 18 weeks consumption in storage during the period 2000-2005. There are only 8 weeks of corn left, down from 11 weeks in the earlier period. More grain is being diverted 'to feed cattle, as the population of upwardly mobile meat-eaters grows.'" Of course, in typical U.N. fashion, they take every opportunity presented to blame meat consumption for this global crisis. I will save that issue for another day. But first off, if the United Nations would endorse the utilization of technology in food production beyond hand hoeing a row, there would never be a food shortage crisis. Instead, it is a "one world, equal world" that they strive for. They are continually striving to remove the wealth accumulated by the United States through agriculture and distribute it globally. With all of this said, I received an email alerting me to changes made in the United States House of Representatives Dining Services. Here are a few of the highlights: Organic food will be served because a healthy environment significantly benefits crops and the health of those consuming them. Restaurant Associates also plans to seek ways to decrease its use of shrimp and salmon that are farmed in an unsustainable manner. Milk labeled "rBGH-Free" is produced by dairy cows that never received injections of this hormone. Cage free eggs will be served because, in the United States, more than 95 percent of the nearly 300 million laying hens are confined to barren battery cages, unable even to spread their wings or engage in many other natural behaviors, such as nesting, foraging, perching and dust bathing. I remind you that these are only the highlights of what is obviously ignorance to what the average United States citizens are dealing with, at the end of 2007. In every one of these food statements, they have turned up their noses at what science says is the most efficient use of natural resources and have chosen the highest inputs, regardless of price, in a misguided attempt to achieve better nutrition. In fact, this isn't about nutrition at all. It is a slap in the face to the hungry and homeless of the United States that they, supposedly, are elected to represent when they are sent to this isolated island of reality called the "Nation's Capitol." I sense that the year of 2008 will be all about consumerism. Everyday consumers will be asking more questions about why food prices have increased, when they discover that one of the leading factors causing higher food prices is because the elitists of our nation have placed a warm and fuzzy story about the life of a chicken above keeping their own kids warm with a house. The truth of the matter is that government-funded research at our nation's Land Grant Universities have used sound science to move food production beyond the 1940s style of agriculture. Why should Congress continue to fund science directed at finding more efficient ways to produce affordable food, if they reject it themselves? They need to wake up and realize that the hungry and homeless don't care about the story that accompanies their meal; they just want something to feed their families. If the general population could see these facts, I don't think the current legislators would fare very well in the next election. But, then again, the politicians are probably convinced that the hungry and homeless of the country won't have the energy to get to the voting booth for the next election. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com. 12/31/07 Date: 12/27/07
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