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famine Archives - juesatta (CJ Photography)

10月16日世界粮食日‧全球粮食荒‧大马酒肉臭

By Wisdom
中国连云港市天使家园幼儿园开展认识粮食活动,通过对各种粮食的辨认,培养孩子们爱惜粮食的意识,迎接10月16日世界粮食日的到来。图为江苏省连云港市天使家园幼儿园的小朋友在课堂上学习辨识五穀杂粮。(图:新华社)

中国连云港市天使家园幼儿园开展认识粮食活动,通过对各种粮食的辨认,培养孩子们爱惜粮食的意识,迎接10月16日世界粮食日的到来。图为江苏省连云港市天使家园幼儿园的小朋友在课堂上学习辨识五穀杂粮。(图:新华社)

世界正面临粮食短缺危机,庆幸的是大马人仍过著丰衣足食的生活。正因如此,大马人严重缺乏对粮食危机的醒觉意识。

据统计,大马人每天丟弃约1千500万公斤的食物残渣,其中的10至15%是还可食用或被浪费的食物,等於丟掉300至450辆罗里的食物。

这里不缺蔬果鱼肉,食物供应充足,粮食短缺对我们来说似乎是非常遥远的事。

然而,粮食危机是有连锁效应的,它牵一发而动全身,对全世界影响,危机离我们並不远。

10月16日是世界粮食日,今年的主题是“农业合作社:养活世界的关键"(Agricultural Cooperatives : Key to Feeding The World)。

配合世界粮食日,我们来探討饥饿与粮食荒和我们有甚么关係。

汤礼聪:全世界正面临粮食短缺危机,但大马民丝毫未曾察觉其严重性。(图:星洲日报)

汤礼聪:全世界正面临粮食短缺危机,但大马民丝毫未曾察觉其严重性。(图:星洲日报)

畜牧业是粮荒罪魁祸首之一
汤礼聪:鼓励吃素救地球

绿色生活协会(Green Living Society)主席汤礼聪说,在极端的天气条件下,全球暖化、气候转变,全世界正面临粮食短缺危机,但本地人丝毫未曾察觉其严重性。

他指出,人类一年吃掉4千亿只动物,世界人口不断增长,基於人类的需要,畜牧业不断扩大。而大部份的种植品,如玉米和大豆都用来餵养动物。因此,畜牧业是世界粮食危机的主要的罪魁祸首之一。

“为了紓缓粮食短缺问题,人类必须减少肉类消耗。联合国也鼓励人们吃素食拯救地球。"

马每4儿童一人超重

汤礼聪指出,全世界每隔5秒就有人死於饥荒,其中75%是儿童。而在东南亚国家中,大马最多孩子有肥胖的问题。

根据马来西亚肥胖儿童儿科工作小组研究的调查显示,大马每4名儿童就有一人超重或肥胖。

“全世界有三分之一的人足够温饱,有三分之一的人食物不足,剩余的三分之一人口处於挨饿状况。

“大马人被归为首个部份(足够温饱),他们的健康问题都与食物有关,但非並挨饿,而是营养过剩、肥胖问题。"

从小没养成珍惜食物习惯

“新生代的肥胖问题源自於父母纵容孩子吃垃圾食物多过日常正餐。这导致孩子们在用正餐时,吃不下而浪费不少食物。父母允许孩子浪费食物,並没有教育他们,因此孩子们从小就没有养成珍惜食物的习惯。

他说,大马人在舒服的环境太久,从未经歷严重的环境灾难或粮食危机,所以在这方面的意识相当低。

他补充,年长者因曾体验艰难的生活,比较懂得珍惜食物。到了年轻一代,生活条件提高了,人们的购买能力也相渐提高,往往毫无节制地消费,特別是年轻人和小孩子对食物不懂得感恩,从未意识到浪费食物的问题,这种情况令人感到担忧。

反对以木薯製塑胶袋

他指出,除了浪费食物造成全球粮食荒恶化,有些市场上的產品是以食物为原料,如木薯製成午餐盒、以淀粉製成塑胶袋,这些產品叫做“可分解物"。

他非常反对这类產品,他说,这些生產商完全面向业务,也不瞭解整个世界粮食危机的情况。世界上很多人正在挨饿,但他们用食物来生產日用品,而且市场上仍有一部份人在使用,確没意识到这些產品的存在,无形中对饥饿者造成“迫害"。

“生產商解释说,他们使用原料是第三级的木薯,不能食用。我的问题是:一些非洲国家的小孩饿得只能吃树叶和泥土,那么难道第三级的木薯不可以吃吗?"

每年扔掉75万吨好食物

从事废弃物管理的汤礼聪指出,我国每一天產生约3万吨的垃圾,一年则有1千万吨,当中50%是食物浪费,意即每年產生500万吨食物浪费。

他把食物浪费分为4类:

1:厨余,在准备食物前,淘汰的菜头菜尾和果皮等。

2:食物的残渣,这些剩余的食物已不能再食用,如骨头、鱼头、海鲜蚌壳类、水果种子外壳等。

3:消耗不完的食物,可能因挑食、不珍惜食物或点过多食物消耗不完,而扔掉质量良好,但还能被食用的食物。

4:没好好策划而过期的食物,购买者因没好好策划食用时间,以致错过食物的赏味期限而被迫丟掉。

汤礼聪指出,第一类和第二类的食物浪费是无可避免的,无论如何,这些食物浪费都是我们造成的。

“不过,第三和第四类的食物浪费是可以避免的。从我的研究,大约有10至15%的食物浪费属於第三和第四类。这也意味著马来西亚人每年扔掉或浪费约50万至75万吨的好食物。"

他补充,传统佳节或民俗习惯造成更多不必要的食物浪费,比如说主人家可能因为面子问题,不愿减少订食物,视桌上食物的多寡为招待宾客週到与否。

宴会30%好食物弃垃圾桶

“你可否想像一个活动结束后,如宴会,有多少的食物被丟弃?从我的研究中显示,宴会上有30%的食物最后將倒入垃圾桶,而且皆是100%好的食物。"

汤礼聪认为,自助餐比一桌10人的宴席对环境更友善。无论如何,最近几年宴会上的食物浪费已有所改善,他观察到食物的数量已从原本的9道减至8至7道。

他鼓励宾客在宴会上打包吃不完的食物,很多人因为不好意思而没有这么做。他建议主人家通知宾客打包剩余的食物,如果主人家鼓励他们这么做,相信许多宾客愿意这么做,这可减少婚宴上的食物浪费。

“食物浪费是温室气体的排放原因之一,进而引起全球暖化和气候转变。此外,所有浪费的食物都被送到处置场所,而食物的腐化过程会產生沼气和二氧化碳,对环境有害,因此减少浪费食物绝对有必要。"

珍惜食物醒觉仍低
浪费习惯根深蒂固

汤礼聪说,为了提高人们珍惜食物的醒觉,他每次在座谈会时,尝试播放影片或照片,让出席者瞭解有很多人因没有食物而饥饿的情况。

“很多人看了很感动,並且后悔过去浪费食物的行为。然而过了不久,他们又故態復萌。这是非常不幸的,浪费几乎成了人们根深蒂固的习惯,並非一朝一夕能纠正过来。"

他补充,从他的调查所得,除了居住环境有厨余和食物浪费,酒店、餐馆、小贩中心、食物加工厂及巴剎也有不少,然而这些单位都没有好好处理厨余的问题。

汤礼聪指出,有些酒店把处理厨余视为社会责任,但在大马並不普遍。

林德来:在婚宴上大马华人展现节制的美德,一些宾客会要求把桌上剩下的食物打包回家。(图:星洲日报)

林德来:在婚宴上大马华人展现节制的美德,一些宾客会要求把桌上剩下的食物打包回家。(图:星洲日报)

林德来:节制美德减少浪费
鼓励打包婚宴剩余食物

雪隆姑苏慎忠行餐饮业公会总会长林德来受访时认同,国內饮业者对粮食危机的意识普遍不高,不过根据他的观察,华人量人而点菜,不过份舖张。

他说,大马餐馆的厨余一般是“菜头菜尾",在清洗蔬菜过程中,就丟掉腐烂、不新鲜的部份。这些都是不可食用的,至於厨余量多量少,视个別餐馆的使用蔬菜量而定。

“过去我曾到中国,当地人以`客人吃剩菜才有面子,吃完则没面子’,因此单单冷菜近10道,热食又有逾10道,太多佳肴美食难以消受。"

林德来指出,相对之下,在婚宴上,本地华人展现节制的美德,一些宾客会要求把桌上剩下的食物打包回家,这种“打包"习惯是值得鼓励的,不应浪费食物。

他说,宴会上,一般只有至8至10道菜,相当符合一桌人的食量。一个人的食量毕竟是有限的,太多肯定吃不完。

联合国粮食
及农业组织的资料显示

过去50年,人类对肉食的需求激增了500%,为满足增长,全球越来越多农地被用作种植牲畜饲料,中南美洲便有66%的热带雨林因而消失。

●每生產一公斤牛肉,需要16公斤穀物以及1万5千公升食水。单是美国一年餵饲牲畜用的穀物,便能餵饱13亿人口。

●大马人每天丟弃约1千500万公斤的食物残渣,其中的10%至15%是还可食用或被浪费的食物,等於丟掉300至450罗里的食物。

关於全球饥饿:

●全球粮食生產足以让每一个人吃饱,但全球有超过十亿人吃不饱,即是每7个人当中,便有1人挨饿。

●60%饥饿人口是女性,但她们亦是全球粮食生產的重要生力军。

●每年,有大约30万名孕妇因营养不良(缺乏铁质),在分娩时因出血过多而死亡。

●同时间,全球有1亿2千万人有肥胖问题。

关於儿童饥饿:

●每5秒,就有一个儿童死於饥饿或相关疾病;每4个饥饿人口中,就有一个是儿童。

●在发展中国家,60%的儿童死於饥饿,每4个儿童,就有一个体重过轻。

●经济学家指出,长期陷於饥饿会窒碍儿童身心发展,长大后的生计或收入比平均人口低5至10%。

关於饥饿人口:

●约75%来自农村或乡郊地区,25%来自城市。

●10亿饥饿人口中,65%来自以下7个国家,即印度、中国、刚果民主共和国、孟加拉、印尼、巴基斯坦和埃塞俄比亚

[source : http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/264896?tid=67]

30-Hour Famine 2012 in Malaysia 马来西亚饥饿30

By Compassion, Involvement
30-Hour Famine (google image)

30-Hour Famine (google image)

About hunger crisis

Now the world’s population has reached 7 billion, the demand for food is even more pressing. The question we need to ask now is: will there be enough food to feed 7 billion people?

Technically, there is, but still…

Hard Facts:

Why do 925 million people go to bed hungry every night?

Our agricultural system is inefficient

The effects of severe climate changes

Escalating global food prices.

Do you know that, each year, 5 million children under the age of 5 die of malnutrition?

About 30-Hour Famine

The 30-Hour Famine is a global movement against hunger and poverty. Over the years, the 30-Hour Famine has gained a reputation as one of the biggest and most fun fundraising event in the world particularly among youths and young adults.

By going without solid food for 30 hours, you can bring change to the lives of those impacted by hunger and poverty. You can give them access to improved health care, a better quality of life and most importantly, HOPE for a brighter tomorrow.

Participants will have an opportunity to get a first-hand simulated experience of living life in dire conditions through various Famine Challenges and educational movies. At the end of the fasting period, participants will break-fast together at their respective DIY Camp venues or to participate in the the 30-Hour Famine centralised Countdown event.

In Malaysia, how did it start?

The first 30-Hour Famine in Malaysia started back in 1997 and it was a joint effort between World Vision Malaysia and Sin Chew Daily in response to the famine in North Korea. Funds poured in and a record of RM2.6 million was raised.

What happened next?

The 30-Hour Famine slowly gained its popularity. Major corporates joined the movement by offering their support in terms of sponsorship. In the year 2002, HELP University College came on board and played host for both the English and Chinese camps. Thanks to the strong media support, the 30-Hour Famine movement in Malaysia continues to attract more of the public to participate in this movement.

30-Hour Famine Do-It-Yourself Camps

In the year 2008, 30-Hour Famine was introduced in a new format, the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) format. This enabled people from other states in Malaysia to take part in the Famine movement. 50 DIY camps were held across Peninsular Malaysia in, after which campers attended a star-studded countdown event.

Still up and moving!

The 30-Hour Famine movement continues to gain support from both old and new participants. New elements such as the 8-Hour Kidz Famine for children aged 12 and below was introduced to educate the younger generation on social concerns and Famine Youth Leaders who were given an opportunity to learn more about World Vision’s work and to share with their peers and the public.

What can you do

1. Join The Famine!
Go hungry so others don’t have to. Together, we can overcome hunger.

2. Spread The Word
Speak out and advocate for change! Share the Famine page with your friends through Facebook, Twitter, Myspace or blog!

3. Champion The Cause
There is enough food in the world but food is not equally distributed. Why not get your school club or company to provide for the hungry by joining the 30-Hour Famine or giving to the Famine Fund?

4. Sponsor a child!
Give a child a shot at life by transforming his community. This is a long-term commitment to ensure he and his community will be fed and be self-subsistent in the long run!

5. Eat right and Stay Healthy
You owe it to yourself to eat right to stay as fit as a fiddle every day. Given the access to nutritious natural foods in Malaysia, there are no excuses to practice unhealthy diets or skip your meals unnecessarily!

6. Make the Change
Change your own lifestyle and live prudently. Let’s not be wasteful with food and learn to be grateful for what we have.

[source : http://www.worldvision.com.my/famine/]

Help for Horn of Africa food crisis

By Involvement
juesatta awakening foundation (draft logo)

juesatta awakening foundation (draft logo)

The Horn of Africa is facing what has been called the worst drought in 60 years, wiped out livestock and  with an left left millions in need of food and water in the country which is already suffering from civil unrest. Tens of thousands have fled their homes, walked for weeks in search of food. Many young children have died along the way.

Please donate whatever you can afford and save lives. And you will give protection and offer hope to people who are in an extremely desperate situation. Here, at juesatta, we’ve made a USD $150.00 to aid the the emergency relief operation and will continue to seek supports. If you wish to donate, kindly contact us or make your donation to unicef.

A greater humanitarian response is needed as crisis deepens in the Horn of Africa

By Compassion
Horn of Africa: “The children’s famine” (image from www.euronews.net)

Horn of Africa: “The children’s famine” (image from www.euronews.net)

NEW YORK, USA, 1 August 2011 – As the crisis in the Horn of Africa deepens, the United Nations has warned that all of southern Somalia could slip into famine in the next two months. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost already, and many more are at stake, yet the international community remains slow in its humanitarian response.

In all, more than 11 million people desperately need help in the nations of eastern Africa stricken by drought, conflict and rising food prices. If the world doesn’t act quickly enough, some 566,000 children fighting severe malnutrition could lose their struggle to survive.

Among the most urgent needs in the crisis response are therapeutic food for malnourished children, safe water for tankering in drought-stricken areas, bed nets to prevent malaria, and family kits for people on the move – like the thousands of refugees who are crossing into Kenya from Somalia. Safe havens and learning spaces for children are priorities, as well.

Funding gap

“We have a huge need right now for airlift operations to get in the ready-to-use therapeutic food,” says UNICEF’s Director of Public Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization, Afshan Khan. “So if there are in-kind donations in terms of airlift and air operations, that will be extremely helpful.”

Despite repeated warnings from many UN agencies that the situation in the Horn of Africa was critical, the response from donors – both public and private – has been limited. To date, UNICEF faces a funding gap of more than $200 million for its emergency operations in the region, including over $120 million for Somalia alone.

“Only when people started crossing the borders,” says Ms. Khan, “was the world able to see the severity of the situation that children really faced – the haunting images of children that were malnourished, dying not only from lack of food but lack of water.”

Child deaths are also occurring, she adds, “due to measles and [other] epidemics that could be easily fixed if we had sufficient resources to vaccinate children, to ensure they got appropriate nutrition … and the provision of clean water and sanitation.”

‘A moral obligation’

Droughts have become cyclical in eastern Africa, and 2011 has been the driest in 60 years. Add to that the recent sharp rise in food prices, a long-running conflict in Somalia and a lack of infrastructure, institutions and planning to prevent future crises, and you have the ‘perfect storm’ that is the current emergency.

Click to help now!

Click to help now!

“There is a lot of work to be done in the short term to help address the immediate crisis,” says Ms. Khan, “but also in the medium and longer term, to build resilience and coping mechanisms of communities who by now have been hit with a cycle of drought and floods over a number of years.”

All eyes are now on the international community to take more concerted action on behalf of children at risk in the Horn of Africa.

“Children don’t choose where they are born, to whom they are born, what type of government rules them, what type of context within which they will grow up, thrive and survive,” notes Ms. Khan. “There is a moral obligation to respond in this crisis. We are all human beings.”

By Priyanka Pruthi
[source: http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_59445.html]

A child dies for hunger every 6 seconds

By Compassion
starvation (image from https://jspivey.wikispaces.com/)

starvation (image from https://jspivey.wikispaces.com/)

14 September 2010, Rome – FAO and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today said that the number of hungry people in the world remains unacceptably high despite expected recent gains that have pushed the figure below 1 billion.

The new estimate of the number of people who will suffer chronic hunger this year is 925 million — 98 million down from 1.023 billion in 2009.

“But with a child dying every six seconds because of undernourishment related problems, hunger remains the world’s largest tragedy and scandal,” said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. “This is absolutely unacceptable.”

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