In March of 2008 SAF Project presented a case study forecasting a great economic meltdown. After approximately two years of research and planning, the initiative for minimizing the ripple effect of surging unemployment and ending the hunger crisis across America was conceived.
The “Spirit of America” Financial Award is a heartfelt gift presented on behalf of noble and generous philanthropists for the American people. One of the key factors in deserving philanthropists’ vote of confidence was based mainly on our ability to create a sustainability platform with a cohesive strategy that can engage the people of America in a spirit of cooperation.
This is a game changer! Hunger is national in scope and represents a much greater challenge, far beyond what analysts projected in years past. Thus, without the strategic intervention of revolutionary programs to increase the local food supply at a much faster pace, malnutrition is likely to escalate at a very alarming rate.
In light of what local growers/farmers are doing to make fresh organic produce available to those who can afford it, the underlying principle of “growing less to get more” is not going to end hunger, nor will it ever ease the struggle of American farmers anytime soon.
The 2009 USDA food insecurity report indicates that nearly one in four children was found to be food insecure. Though high, these estimates are expected to rise over the coming years as the full impact of the economic downturn is taken into account.
USDA research reveals that 90% of farm families lives in poverty and must seek income off the farm through jobs to meet their income needs. As an alternative to a job off the farm, rewarding local growers with a contract “in advance” to increase production is the safety-net they need to reduce the risk of financial losses due mainly to falling prices.
The following video clip is an example of what usually goes on behind the scenes when prices fall below the cost to harvest. It’s about ‘Farmers Destroying Crops’which was aired on March 27, 2010, on ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/strawberry-farmers-destroy-crops/story?id=10219820
