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Scholars and experts met at the University of South Florida today to sound the alarm on the global hunger crisis. This comes as global hunger becomes a bigger issue post-pandemic.
The event was part of USF’s Global & National Security Institutions “Policy Dialogues” series. The event featured scholars from around the nation addressing the problem of hunger.
They discussed how countries must be careful with how they give humanitarian aid. Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla, professor at Yale School of Public Health, saw the effects of poorly handled agriculture growth firsthand while living in Mexico.
“And I really think we should ask ourselves when powerful, wealthy countries invest in lower-income countries in developing areas for the production of food and agriculture and so on. For whom are we talking about improving food security and economic gains? I just don’t see the data out there showing that these investments are reducing inequities in the countries in which they are investing”
They also talked about how the global pandemic multiplied situations of global hunger, and how countries such as Haiti have specific problems when it comes to addressing the issue.
Dr. Dan Sellen, professor at the University of Toronto, reminded listeners that the best sources for solutions are often the victims of the crisis.
“The people we’re talking about are not just numbers. They want to tell you their stories and they have ideas about getting out of the situation.”
