The Global Food Crisis

Following on from our End poverty.Fast campaign which aimed to highlight food shortages, food wastage and rising food prices in developing countries, Muslim Aid would like to continue to highlight the current food crisis which is leaving 900 million people hungry every day.  During Ramdan and Qurbani, with your phenomenal generosity, we were able to provide Iftar meals and Qurbani meat to thousands of people across the world. However, with Eid-ul-adha over, it is important that we do not forget that people continue to fast long after the festivities have ended.

Understanding the Food Crisis

The reasons for the food crisis are complex and there is no one reason. Biofuel policies, high fuel prices, under investment in agriculture, population growth (in countries like India and China who in turn demand more food) unfair world trade agreements and climate change all contribute to the crisis. The price of basic food staples such as rice and pulses have more than doubled meaning millions of people are unable to feed themselves or their families. Small farmers, fishermen, foresters, pastoralists and agricultural labourers are also greatly affected as they cannot produce enough food to cover their means.

For information on the food crisis, visit the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation website. 

Muslim Aid projects around the world

Muslim Aid is implementing long term nutrition projects in several countries across the world.  Muslim aid is one of many NGOs working to tackle the current food crisis and with your help, much more can be done to implement long term nutrition projects which guarantee families a meal every day. We need your help to meet the Millennium Development Goals to Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger by 2015.

Our projects include-

• School kitchens and school gardens in Sri Lanka provides children a meal a day to improve concentration and improve nutritional awareness. The gardens enable the schools to be self sufficient and the pupils develop the skills necessary to cultivate their own food. 
• Our Food Bank in Sudan collects food waste from hotels, food industries and community events and re cooks it and distributes it to the poor and needy. Since it began, the Food Bank has provided over 14,000 meals.
• Our ovens project in Palestine employs over 30 workers who make sweet and savoury pies which are then distributed to local schools and poor families. So far 54,000 people have received a meal.

• This year we allocated £500,000 to our Ramadan programme which delivered Iftar meals and food packages to poor communities and orphanages.
• We have also distributed over £200,000 of Qurbani meat across 52 countries this Qurbani.

What can I do?

There is no denying that the food crisis is a huge problem but by making small changes to the way you live, you can make a big difference. It’s just about being more conscious of your relationship with food. Here’s some ideas….

• Be more ethically minded-try to be conscious of where your food products are sourced and under what conditions they were produced. Buy Fair Trade products and support Fair Trade outlets and coffee shops (Come and visit our Fair Factory coffee shop for example!)
• Don’t waste it! We often buy a lot more food than we actually consume and much of it goes in the bin. In the UK, 6.7 million tonnes of household food is wasted each year Remember that we should  "… eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste by extravagance" [Surah al-Ar'af; 7: verse 31] 
• Plan your shopping so you do not buy too much, store food in containers so it keeps for longer.
  
• Be aware of the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ – we often throw food away before its past its best.
  
• Support with Muslim Aid! By donating just a small amount to Muslim Aid, by telling friends and family about the ongoing crisis or by getting involved in our fundraising events, you can help us to continue to tackle food shortages in developing countries.
  
  

To donate, simply select the type of donation you would like, select 'Projects' and then 'Feed the poor'.

DONATE NOW.DONATE NOW.DONATE NOW

For more information:

'UN and World Bank to tackle food crisis '-The Muslim News

'Food price rises threaten global security, UN'-The Guardian

'The Silent Tsunami'-The Economist

'Bangladesh Faces Food Crisis'- BBC News.