Number 2, April 2012
Development Works
Bread for the World Institute provides
policy analysis on hunger and strategies to
end it. The Institute educates its network,
opinion leaders, policy makers and the
public about hunger in the United States
and abroad.
Snapshot
UN Photo/WFP
• Americans agree that helping
hungry people is a high priority
for our country. Both today and in
the past, policies and resources
that fight hunger earn the support
of people across traditional
lines—political, religious,
economic, generational, and a
range of others.
A family in Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan receives wheat from the
United Nations World Food Programme.
Americans Reaching Out
Concern for those who are less fortunate is a value that resonates with
Americans. Many of us, aware of all we have, are very willing to help people in
need. Using common sense, being practical, can be considered an American
value as well. A quick “reality check” to be sure the assistance is needed and
wanted is important to many people who are motivated to help.
In the past, U.S. geography meant that if the national mood or national
leadership favored withdrawing from the rest of the world, it wasn’t too hard
to do that. But the United States has a strong record of engagement beyond
our borders. And perhaps just as important today, the clichés are true: it’s a
small world that’s getting smaller.
What does all this mean for our mission at Bread for the World—ending
hunger? It’s encouraging: the will to engage with people globally in order to
solve a serious global problem is supported by values that many if not most
Americans embrace.
1
• The United States can use its
history of successful development
programs and emergency relief
efforts to help make lasting
progress against hunger and
malnutrition.
• Building on past experiences is
more important than ever as new
factors, such as climate change
and unpredictable changes in
food prices, further complicate
the efforts of poor people to
feed their families and improve
opportunities for their children.
• U.S. international development
efforts are now guided by
both a new understanding of
the importance of nutrition,
particularly in early childhood,
and a renewed appreciation of
agricultural development as a vital
ingredient in the “treatment” of
global hunger.