Today the UK government hosted a summit on food and hunger which produced an impressive list of pledges and a long list of signatories. Alongside the big (but not Make Poverty History scale) NGO mobilisation in Hyde Park, it means you’ll be hearing and reading a lot about hunger this weekend. Maybe over your supper this evening, or breakfast tomorrow…
If that sounds a bit cynical, then I plead guilty. The trade union movement has not been part of the Enough IF campaign as we were central to Make Poverty History, and we weren’t even asked to take part in the Food & Hunger Summit or the Hyde Park event. From the start, we’ve had significant concerns about the way the campaign was run (a wholly ’aid charity’ activity, unlike the broader ‘development’ coalitions including unions and green groups), and about the focus on hunger, despite the policies on tax that we would largely agree with.
Because – as the “Global Nutrition for Growth Compact” issued today reveals – this has been a campaign about food, rather than poverty. And since there is more than enough food in the world to feed even the 7 billion mouths there now are, that’s a bit strange. Despite what the Compact says about hunger and malnutrition stunting economies, it’s actually the other way round. Poor people are hungry because they’re poor.



