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9. Hunger as an Ethical Issue

9. Hunger as an Ethical Issue. Larry D. Sanders Spring 2002. Dept. of Ag Economics Oklahoma State University. INTRODUCTION. Purpose: to understand ethical issues related to hunger Learning Objectives: 1. To become aware of population and hunger trends.

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9. Hunger as an Ethical Issue

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  1. 9. Hunger as an Ethical Issue Larry D. Sanders Spring 2002 Dept. of Ag Economics Oklahoma State University

  2. INTRODUCTION • Purpose: • to understand ethical issues related to hunger • Learning Objectives: 1. To become aware of population and hunger trends. 2. To understand the key ethical issues/questions related to hunger and connections to population growth.

  3. Food Nutrition/Health Policy Options • Education • Labelling • Food Assistance • Food Stamps • Food Distribution Programs • School Lunch Programs • WIC • Welfare Reform • Free Market

  4. World Hunger • AREA POPULATION FOOD • ASIA 40% 15% • AFRICA 10% 5% • L. AMERICA 10% 10% • EUROPE 25% 45% • N. AMERICA 10% 25% • OTHER 5% 1%

  5. World Hunger (cont.) • Each minute 28 humans die from hunger & malnutrition • 21 are children • Equals a “Hiroshima” every 3 days • Chronic Malnutrition: 10% of World Population

  6. World Hunger (cont.) • 2 x Deaths in All Wars Past 150 yrs = Hunger Deaths in Past 5 yrs • 250,000 infants/small childrean die each week from diet-related, “easily” preventable diseases • Thousands more--diet-related blindness & physical & mental retardation

  7. HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH, ESTIMATED & PROJECTED (3 Million BC-2036) 8000 BC 5-10 MIL. 5000 BC 20 MIL 3000 BC 50 MIL. 1400 BC 100 MIL. 0 200 MIL. 1200 400 MIL. 1700 800 MIL. 1900 1.5 BIL. 1960 3 BIL. 1996 6 BIL. 2036-50 11-12 BIL??? MILLION HUMANS YEAR

  8. World Hunger (cont.) • Not a food production problem • Economics--poverty--is the problem

  9. World Hunger (cont.) • Economic development is the key • Education is the foundation for economic development • But . . . • What is the carrying capacity of earth? • What pressures can we expect to worsen? • Economic? • Physical? • Sociopolitical?

  10. “The Tragedy of the Commons” & “Lifeboat Ethics” (Garrett Hardin--VP) • Common resources (oceans, air, public land) will be overused/ exploited • Price mechanism or property rights necessary to ration • “Free” food would lead to even greater tragedy (larger population crash) • “Carrying capacity” important • Alternative view: Lifeboat view (utilitarian) forces competitive view (human-human & human-nonhuman) rather than cooperative view

  11. Foreign Agricultural Assistance:Ethical Issues (TMR) • An issue of distributive justice • Charity? • Human survival/ decency? • Strategic measures? • Emergency assistance vs. Development assistance?

  12. Some Ethical Questions: Is Hunger a Reason to-- • Legally restrict human reproduction? • Encourage population control? • Restrict/eliminate meat consumption or grain for animal feed? • Promote biotechnology to grow more food? • Sacrifice habitat/species/ ecosystems to grow more food? • Do little/nothing & let nature restore a balance? • Discontinue technological solutions/ health care that expand longevity and/or reduce death rates and/or increase birth rates?

  13. More Ethical Questions:If we save people from hunger-- • How do we/they suffer the reduced quality of life? • How do we/they accept the near certain increases in crime/violence/war? • How do we/they handle increased pressures on natural resources? • How do we/they handle increased pressures on social infrastructure? • Can we continue to count on the technological fix?

  14. Team Exercise • Using the “human population” lecture & the “carrying capacity” handout & Hardin’s articles: 1. Discuss the issues of agricultural production and natural resource management. 2. Consider alternative policy options to address these issues. 3. Outline/summarize the recommended evolution of the “social contract” with agriculture in the next 10-15 years with respect to environmental issues.

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