Hunger and nutrition

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Media contacts: Laura Blank 708.872.5265 (c) Holly Frew 253.709.3190 (c) Expert sources: Paul Macek         Robert Zachritz Nathaniel Hurd Drought, food crisis, famine: What's the difference? (Infographic)

Latest News 05/14/2013 Food aid alliance thanks Congress for reauthorizing food aid in Farm Bill 04/10/2013 World Vision urges U.S. Government for food aid reform that saves more lives 04/09/2013 NGO alliance endorses food assistance reform principles 09/06/2012 8 ways to talk to kids about disasters 06/22/2012 Letter to Congress opposing food aid budget cuts 06/18/2012 Sen. Jerry Moran (R - Kansas) proposes amending the Farm Bill to increase developmental food aid (YouTube Video) 05/29/2012 Fighting famine (after it happens) is ineffective aid (blog by Rich Stearns) More news & press releases ...

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Press resources

• Farmer managed natural regeneration -- giving farmers the tools to succeed (PDF)
• The global food crisis
• G8 and the food crisis, 2008 (PDF, 2 pages)
• World Vision congressional testimony on the global food crisis

The need

Nutritious food is a critical building block for children’s growth and development. Half of all childhood deaths can be traced to malnutrition. And when parents are weakened by hunger, they cannot work, grow crops or provide for their families.

Severe food shortages result from factors that often compound each other: Poor farming techniques Low soil fertility Poor access to quality seeds Poor control of crop pests Environmental degradation Drought and other natural disasters Unless communities can establish secure sources of food to meet their nutritional needs, they have little hope of offering their children a healthy future.

Nutritious food is a critical building block for children’s growth and development.

World Vision’s response

When people can provide food for themselves, they enjoy physical health along with a sense of dignity that strengthens their faith and family relationships. World Vision helps families in need worldwide specifically through the following factors.

Food aid

Feeding centers—Following a humanitarian crisis, World Vision establishes emergency feeding clinics and often provides supplemental food until the situation has stabilized.

Training and supplies

Agricultural assistance—World Vision provides farmers with seeds and tools for raising crops and livestock.

Agricultural training—We teach farmers improved agricultural techniques such as crop rotation, drip irrigation, conservation farming and the planting of nitrogen-fixing trees that enrich depleted soil.

Nutrition education—World Vision trains parents in the importance of feeding their children foods that contain essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C.

Protecting food resources

Improving product storage—World Vision helps communities protect their available food resources with better storage techniques. In Mali, for example, we built granaries that decreased the annual food storage loss from 30 percent to 3 percent.

Marketing assistance—By identifying and providing resources for marketable products, World Vision helps farmers earn a stable income for their families. For example, we helped Brazilian farmers cultivate and market a crop of organic peppers after local environmental changes made it impossible to grow their previous crops.

Natural resource management—World Vision emphasizes the value of caring for natural resources. Farmers are taught to protect their greatest asset—their land—by preventing soil degradation, increasing sustainability, and enhancing productivity.

More news / press releases

05/08/2012	Huffington Post: Congress needs bipartisan friendships now more than ever
05/01/2012	World Vision advocates launch global campaign urging world leaders to 'Build #HungerFree World'
04/10/2012	Underground forest can end famine
11/22/2011	Microfinance Focus: FAO and World Vision boost global food security
11/17/2011	Looming food crisis in West Africa, World Vision warns
05/27/2011	G8 gives a nod to promises for the world's poorest, shelves them for another year
05/26/2011	OPEN LETTER to First Ladies at the G8 Leaders' Summit
05/09/2011	As higher food prices push many into hunger, World Vision calls on leaders to address crisis
02/16/2011	Alliance for Food Security urges House not to cut international food aid (PDF)
02/11/2011	Proposed cuts to international food aid programs threaten lives and stability
02/08/2011	Drought, lack of food threaten millions in Horn of Africa, says World Vision
11/11/2010	G20 urged to tackle food security, avert another global crisis
07/21/2010	As food crisis deteriorates in Niger, World Vision expands response
07/21/2010	Aid agencies call for a 'surge' in aid effort to help 10 million facing hunger in West Africa
03/11/2010	Nutritional aid is cost-effective measure against health and hunger problems
04/15/2009	Somali pirates attack second ship carrying food aid for World Vision programs