This article appeared in the Andover Townsman

June 12, 2008

Road to peace can't bypass plight of hungry
By William Lambers

With global food prices soaring, U.S. leadership is needed to save millions from the plight of hunger. And if we turn the pages of history we see that America has responded before to massive humanitarian challenges.

World War II left millions of people in Europe and Asia in desperate need of food. Andover resident Vincent Lambers was one of many American soldiers in Europe who saw children scrounging for food outside of mess halls. Upon recalling giving a hungry child some food, Lambers said "you should have seen the child's eyes light up." It was American food aid that saved lives, gave people hope and a foundation for recovery after World War II.

This American quest to fight hunger continued in 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower started a plan to send surplus food overseas to needy countries. This Food for Peace program, whether providing aid to flood victims in Austria or school lunches to children in Italy, promoted stability during the Cold War. Ike said, "Food can be a powerful instrument for all the free world in building a durable peace."

That same spirit is now needed to help developing nations hit by the "silent tsunami" of soaring food prices. The United States needs to increase funding for the "Food for Peace" program, a major supplier to the UN World Food Programme's life-saving work. Congress recently failed to provide adequate funding for the vital McGovern-Dole program that provides school lunches to children overseas. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme announced it suspended a school lunch program for 450,000 children in Cambodia because of shortfalls caused by escalating food prices. In countries like Namibia, where 24 percent of children under 5 are underweight, higher food prices will be devastating. In Afghanistan, we can't expect democracy and freedom to catch on in the midst of hunger.

After World War II America led the response to those in need. Will we meet the challenge of today's global food crisis?

William Lambers

Cincinatti

William Lambers is a former Andover resident and author of "The Spirit of the Marshall Plan: Taking Action Against World Hunger: School Lunches for Kids Around the World."