Sparking Conversations About Hunger

Hunger is a serious global issue. In fact, one in eight of the world’s inhabitants are malnourished. I was very disturbed when I learned the fact that every 3 seconds, a person dies from hunger. As students of the University of Florida, we live a very privileged life. Even though our food supply sometimes runs low and we are forced to get by on Raman Noodles, none of us really understand what it means to be hungry.

Hunger U is an initiative of the Farm Journal Foundation designed to educate college students about the significance of modern agriculture and how it affects the world’s food crisis. This past week Hunger U visited our campus here at the University of Florida. In addition to the mobile unit at the Plaza of the Americas, there was also a Solutions Seminar where both local and global hunger issues were discussed. The event was headed by several panelists, including Dean Balser and Dr. Wendy Dahl. The objective of the seminar was not only to spark conversations about how today’s farmers are helping feed a hungry world, but also to educate students about the critical role that modern agriculture plays in putting food on our tables. Even after this tour has left our campus, these conversations continue.

The turnout was incredible and the room was quickly filled with students eager to learn more about this pressing issue. The speakers explained how serious the issue of hunger is, both on a local and international scale. Interestingly, hunger and malnutrition are the greatest health risk worldwide, even more so than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. In an effort to combat this problem, farmers here are working hard to develop techniques to increase efficiency and production of our agricultural output.

Solving the issue of hunger is an undertaking that would benefit everyone. When we work to fight hunger and invest in good nutrition, we increase productivity and create economic opportunities. Studies show that countries’ economic outputs are significantly reduced as a result of childhood malnutrition. From a moral standpoint, it is hard to lay idle and do nothing while knowing that children across the world are dying from hunger. I strongly believe that no child should go hungry, and those who are working to fight childhood malnutrition are real heroes.

I was greatly impacted by what I had seen and heard. I never realized how serious this issue was because hunger has never been an issue in my life. This seminar really made me appreciate the hard work and dedication put forth by our nation’s farmers and agricultural experts. Additionally, the seminar made me appreciate IFAS, an organization that finances and facilitates research in the latest agricultural innovations. It is through IFAS that our state is able to make advancements in the field of agriculture, which in turn contributes to the fight against hunger in our area and abroad.

- DJ Staub