May 9, 2007

  • Hungry Planet

    I realize that this is oddly timed with Brad's recent thoughts on food.  But I've mentioned the Hungry Planet photo exhibition several times now, and it still very striking to me.  Jennconspiracy found a good link to a magazine spread on the work at the artist's website.  We can, in fact, feed the world even at its current size, and that any failure to do so is strictly manmade and political in origin.

    I thought of the rationing books under the Cuban family's picture.  I thought of the Mongolian family who lost their business and home.  I thought of the family from Chad who fled the Sudanese violence and were also on rationed food.  Without even knowing it, it seems, Mr. Menzel if not proved this thesis, but at least illustrated it in action.  Here is the family, with what they've been given to last a week for food (all photos copyrighted © 2005 by Peter Menzel Photography used here noncommercially, not for profit, and without permission, courtesy the Marie Claire spread)

    HP-Chad

    The magazine spread Mr. Menzel used in his website (from the French edition of Marie Claire) has only the family from Chad, conspicuously absent the father.  I'll have to see if I can find the article and see what they talked about.  In any case, the exhibit is definitely provocative and memorable. Check out the links when you get a chance.

    Here's Bhutan.

    HP-Bhutan

    Germany:

    HP-Germany

    Check the site for the rest.

Comments (2)

  • I agree that the Hungry Planet exibit was probably the most interesting thing we saw that day.

    I thought it was funny that the Italian family seemed the most trim, since their diet most resembles my own. Carbs from grains always seem to get a bad rap, but I just love 'em! Whole wheat sandwiches with a little meat and a lot of vegetables, wheat noodles with way too much sauce or pesto, hot cereal, cold cereal with fruit, brown rice, keep it coming!

  • I just read through Brad's blog entry. Useful reading. Another couple items he didn't go into so much are two topics that have been of paramount importance in the last 150 years that have made this food abundance possible: artificial fertilizers and chemicals.

    Most people don't realize it, but inorganic fertilizer was arguably the most important invention in the last 150 years.

    The introduction of these fertilizers exponentially increased the amount of calories that could be produced on a given acre of land. In the 1950's a second green revolution again followed, as the amount of calories produced per acre again increased exponentially as the large crop losses to pests was reduced.

    There have been grave prices to pay for these increases to say the least considering what nitrogen run off and chemicals have done to the environment. We now face our own interesting razors edge.

    We have enough food to feed the world, more than enough. But the long term impact of using these techniques in the current manner may destroy the very biosphere needed to foster the environments needed to raise the crops. Meanwhile, we cannot go back to traditional crop raising techniques, because there isn't enough arable land in all the world to raise enough food per acre to feed everyone in that manner.

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