FOOD NOT BOMBS

Food Not Bombs

 

Have you ever been touched by images of poverty and war and wanted to do something to stop them?  If so, you should consider joining Food Not Bombs.  This volunteer movement is dedicated to ending hunger, war and poverty through direct action, not just empty protests.  It is one of the fastest growing humanitarian movements in the world.

 

The first Food Not Bombs chapter was formed by a group of anti-nuclear protesters in Massachusetts, USA in 1980 and there are now hundreds of chapters throughout the world.  The group has three main beliefs.  Firstly, as their name suggests, they believe that all the money, time and energy currently being spent on war should be spent on food for the hungry.  For example, the United States Government now estimates that the war in Iraq will end up costing more than 500 billion dollar – that amount of money could end world hunger many times over.

 

Secondly, they believe that world hunger is not due to a shortage of food, but to the unnecessary wastage and unequal distribution of food.  It is a fact that the world produces more than enough food to feed every single person.  However, it is also a fact that not enough of it reaches the mouths of those who need it the most, and a huge proportion actually ends up being wasted.  For example, every year more than 160 billion kilograms of food is produced in the United States.  Nearly a third of that food – 45 billion kilograms – is wasted by retailers, restaurants, and consumers.  As another example, Hong Kong Government figures show that over 9 million kilograms of food is wasted in Hong Kong every year.  That constitutes around one third of the city’s total waste. 

 

The third main belief of Food Not Bombs is that a vegetarian diet should be encouraged because it is both healthy and does not involve killing.  People can get very sick from eating fish, meat or poultry that has not been cooked properly, or has begun to spoil.  However, with vegetarian food, there is a much smaller risk of people developing health problems from food spoilage.  Furthermore, because a vegetarian diet does not contribute to the suffering of animals, Food Not Bombs believes that it is preferable to a meat-based diet.

 

Every Food Not Bombs chapter, no matter where in the world it is located, acts according to these three core beliefs.  However, the chapters can decide for themselves how best they will try to help the people in their community.  Many chapters do things like visit grocery stores, bakeries and markets to collect food that would otherwise be thrown away, and go ‘dumpster-diving’ to recover usable food that has already been thrown out.  They then use this food to cook free, healthy vegetarian meals which are served in public places to anyone who would like one.

 

That is not all they do, however.  They also work to reduce the amount of waste – not just food waste – that society generates by helping redistribute it to people who are in need.  A good example of this is the ‘Really Free Market’ that is held every two months by the chapter of Food Not Bombs in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Food Not Bombs volunteers accept donations of things that people no longer need – children’s toys, old clothes, furniture and so on – and display them at the Really Free Market.  People who visit the market are welcome to take what they need – free of charge.  The market helps the Christchurch community in several ways.  Firstly it is an excellent way for people to dispose of things they no longer need.  Secondary, it reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise go into a landfill.  Thirdly, it helps people who do not have much money provide for their families, and fourthly, it helps build a stronger sense of community.

 

Whether they can actually stop war or poverty is questionable, however it is true that they don’t just shout slogans and wave signs.  One of the major factors separating modern anti-war activist groups like Food Not Bombs from earlier anti-war groups is that instead of just complaining about things they don’t like, these people are actually doing something productive.  Their actions directly address society’s inequalities, by providing food for the people that need it and spreading an anti-war message, all at the same time.