Hunger In Jamaica?

[johnnycakes]

Never hear much on this before. (from Caribbean Net news)
Comments?

Jamaica Produces Enough To Feed Everyone; But Everyone Is Not Fed, Says FAO Representative
Published on Saturday, October 20, 2007 Email To Friend Print Version

KINGSTON Jamaica (JIS): Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative for Jamaica, Bahamas and Belize, Dr Dunstan Campbell, has urged government and non-governmental organizations as well as other stakeholders to come together to address the issue of food security in Jamaica.

Citing reports, he said that "Jamaica produces enough food to feed everyone; this is good news. The bad news however, is that everyone is not fed."

"We have to keep remembering that more food is not the answer; the answer is access to food, so therefore we have to work towards getting those who do not have access today, the access to food," he stated at the FAO's 2007 World Food Day Awards ceremony held recently in Kingston.

According to Dr Campbell, major stakeholders, including government and non-government organisations, have been mandated to focus on the human right to food "and come up with an agenda for moving the issue forward."

"I must say that quite a significant amount of work is done here in Jamaica already with regards to this, but some more work has to be done," he stated.

In the meantime, he said that the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI), which has been leading the process in carrying out food assessment and food vulnerability analyses since 2004, is working on several projects that target specific interest groups, including persons most affected by poverty, low income households, and schools.

He said the Institute is "now moving into the HIV/AIDS group, trying to provide nutritious food to this group of people."

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

Of course not the Pirates of the Caribbean did a wonderful job of Public Relations.
One media worker the other day said he had heard rumours but he recently came up on the truth. Yes some Jamaicans are going hungry. He saw a well-dressed man fishing into a garbage can and it look as if it was his daily routine as he was very methodical about it.

Last week the Gleaner in its online edition posted a picture of some very destitute and hungry persons. That is 18 years of successful public relations for you.

[johnnycakes]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Of course not the Pirates of the Caribbean did a wonderful job of Public Relations.
One media worker the other day said he had heard rumours but he recently came up on the truth. Yes some Jamaicans are going hungry. He saw a well-dressed man fishing into a garbage can and it look as if it was his daily routine as he was very methodical about it.

Last week the Gleaner in its online edition posted a picture of some very destitute and hungry persons. That is 18 years of successful public relations for you.
</div></div>


Tuffy,
Are you saying that the problem of hunger in Jamaica did not exist prior to the 18 years of PNP administration?
You do have a tendency to understate the deficiencies of the JLP and stress the shortcomings of the PNP while I would say that they are both failures.

Incremental differences between the social policies of the two parties are of relatively no significance in the big picture.

Jamaica has been on a downhill slide since independence with very few upturns and the slight betterment you ascribe to the policies of the JLP might better be attributed to world situations rather than a more thoughtful and/or capable handling of the governing of Jamaica by the JLP.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are you saying that the problem of hunger in Jamaica did not exist prior to the 18 years of PNP administration?</div></div>

You have natural need to bring everything down the PNP and JLP aid you don't know a thing about Jamaica and the socio-political history of the country. If you knew you would not lead yourself into so many traps.

The answer to your question is no, people were starving in the 70s under another PNP Led Government. That was after record growth in the 60s and early 70s. So go check it out an come forward, I will give you the details if you like.

[johnnycakes]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Are you saying that the problem of hunger in Jamaica did not exist prior to the 18 years of PNP administration?</div></div>

You have natural need to bring everything down the PNP and JLP aid you don't know a thing about Jamaica and the socio-political history of the country. If you knew you would not lead yourself into so many traps.

The answer to your question is no, people were starving in the 70s under another PNP Led Government. That was after record growth in the 60s and early 70s. So go check it out an come forward, I will give you the details if you like.


</div></div>


Tuffy,
Again you're picking nits.
The problem of income inequality and poverty is a natural product of neo-liberal and colonial and neo-colonial economics (capitalism) which you support by supporting the political (and therefore the economic) system of Jamaica.
Do you not accept the fact that there always were poor in Jamaica who didn't know where their next meal was coming from?
And didn't these people exist under the so-called leadership of BOTH parties?

I never used the term "starving" did I ?

You took my words and exaggerated them to make a fraudulent point.

Yes or no?
Hunger was and always is a problem for the very poor in Jamaica REGARDLESS of which party is in power..

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I never used the term "starving" did I ?

You took my words and exaggerated them to make a fraudulent point. </div></div>
What fraudelent point did I make?
Folks were starving in the 70s and they are starving now.

[trelawnysmall]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<span style='font-size: 11pt'><span style='font-family: Comic Sans MS'>I don't know the history of Jamacia and her politics, so I won't enter that debate, but what I do know is that the economy is so bad that many, many people struggle to feed themselves and their children. The cost of living is so high that a working man struggels just to afford enough food to feed his family. Many people live like this. Wages are low, much too low. If skilled laborers are making $1,000 - $1,200J a day and then that man needs to take taxis, which are high due to high gas prices, to work and what is left is little to nothing. My friend in Negril has been working over 5 years at one property and she makes more then any other employee there, that is $1,000 J a day, not even $20 US. We shop at the same local market, I know what it costs to buy food, even if you're brown stewing chicken back and cooking a pot of rice or dumpling. If you have children to support, its a struggle. People are struggling, children struggle. People look for food for that one meal or that day. I know this is not all people, but so many people are hungry. So many people are living a life that is less then what they deserve.
As far as the new govt is concerned, I never heard much good about this party, BUT things must change. They must. How can the tourist industry alone bring in billions or trillions of $US to Jamaica and the people have to go without food? What is wrong with that picture? How can the little man survive and improve his life or give a glimps of a chance of his children making a good life for themselves if they are going hungry? I see that Jamaicans are a proud people and so they should be. This pride keeps them from walking like a hungry man and let the world know things gone bad in their society.
It has to change. Education, job market, health care it all has to come up. Jamaicans deserve better!</span></span>

[MarieK]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

the problem is that early 80s many were starving too and corruption is as it is now HIGH just because some did a get fed yuh neva see it.

[Jamaicamiss]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

The sad thing is that here in Jamaica the price of flour and rice is slated to increase. These are the staples for the poor. And as stated above, the price of gas goes up, the price of cabs also go up. The people have no choice but to pay or walk.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mrs. MarieK</div><div class="ubbcode-body">the problem is that early 80s many were starving too and corruption is as it is now HIGH just because some did a get fed yuh neva see it. </div></div>

The fact is PNP destroyed the economy and social services in the 70s in this respect how would an incoming JLP Government work magic in a very short time?
I lived in Jamaica throughout till the late 90s, so it is not hear seh. Nothing was hidden or glossed over in the 80s, from the very early days of the Administration of the JLP, Menlie and his minions was out in the Streets demonstrating for everything. If there were any more starvation than what was inherited from the previous Administration we would have heard and it would have been made public in every Election that was run subsequent to that. Just as every utterances, every miscue of the JLP and Eddie Seaga have been.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jamaica Miss</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The sad thing is that here in Jamaica the price of flour and rice is slated to increase. These are the staples for the poor. And as stated above, the price of gas goes up, the price of cabs also go up. The people have no choice but to pay or walk. </div></div>

The current price increases are of course out of the hands of the Government as they relate to world commodity prices, rather than local Jamaican realities.
Now the resultant effects on the populace points illustrates the poverty of thinking that was part of the DNA of the last PNP Administration.

According to PJoke the PNP Government achieved the distinction of making more man have cyar, more man have cell phone and more Jamaican having Highways.
So the net effect is more consumption, more money towards purchasing and servicing these consumption patterns rather than food and shelter.

Added to this the last PNP Government have contrived to separate more Jamaicans from their money than any in the history of Jamaica. They have invented or increased Schools Fees, Hospital Fees, Birth Certificate Fees, Postal Fees, Custom Fee and the list is endless, so Jamaican citizens are one of the most taxed on earth, while living in one of the most violent and corrupt country in the world, it is no wonder why poverty leading to starvation is increasing, any increase in the price of staples is further erosion of the ability to feed the family.

[johnnycakes]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">[quote=johnnycakes]I never used the term "starving" did I ?

You took my words and exaggerated them to make a fraudulent point. </div></div>
What fraudelent point did I make?
Folks were starving in the 70s and they are starving now.

Tuffy, The point made was that under the PNP people were starving and you made no mention that the starvation continued under the JLP. Economic conditions did not change sufficiently under the JLP to the point where those at the bottom who suffrered from hunger were eased. Those at the bottom rarely benefit from a top down economic surge.

To say that people are going hungry under JUST the PNP is a fraudulent statement.

The central point is that neo-liberal capitalism such as is practiced in much of the developing world only exacerbates the problems of poverty, hunger.
I do not think you contest that do you?.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">To say that people are going hungry under JUST the PNP is a fraudulent statement.
</div></div>
You are liar I said no such thing!

Was that necessary?

[johnnycakes]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: johnnycakes</div><div class="ubbcode-body">To say that people are going hungry under JUST the PNP is a fraudulent statement.
</div></div>
You are liar I said no such thing! </div></div>

Tuff Gong, you posted;
"The answer to your question is no, people were starving in the 70s under another PNP Led Government. That was after record growth in the 60s and early 70s. So go check it out an come forward, I will give you the details if you like."

If this is not saying that the problem existed under only the PNP then I don't know what it is.
Calling me a liar is a bit strong don't you think?

[johnnycakes]

Re: Hunger In Jamaica?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TSmall</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style='font-size: 11pt'><span style='font-family: Comic Sans MS'>I don't know the history of Jamacia and her politics, so I won't enter that debate, but what I do know is that the economy is so bad that many, many people struggle to feed themselves and their children. The cost of living is so high that a working man struggels just to afford enough food to feed his family. Many people live like this. Wages are low, much too low. If skilled laborers are making $1,000 - $1,200J a day and then that man needs to take taxis, which are high due to high gas prices, to work and what is left is little to nothing. My friend in Negril has been working over 5 years at one property and she makes more then any other employee there, that is $1,000 J a day, not even $20 US. We shop at the same local market, I know what it costs to buy food, even if you're brown stewing chicken back and cooking a pot of rice or dumpling. If you have children to support, its a struggle. People are struggling, children struggle. People look for food for that one meal or that day. I know this is not all people, but so many people are hungry. So many people are living a life that is less then what they deserve.
As far as the new govt is concerned, I never heard much good about this party, BUT things must change. They must. How can the tourist industry alone bring in billions or trillions of $US to Jamaica and the people have to go without food? What is wrong with that picture? How can the little man survive and improve his life or give a glimps of a chance of his children making a good life for themselves if they are going hungry? I see that Jamaicans are a proud people and so they should be. This pride keeps them from walking like a hungry man and let the world know things gone bad in their society.
It has to change. Education, job market, health care it all has to come up. Jamaicans deserve better!</span></span> </div></div>

TSmall,

Thank you for a very well written post on the problem. You pointed out the difficulties of life for the Jamaican poor very eloquently.

You may not know much about politics or history but you can clearly see what is going on.

I would point out that the original article stated that Jamaica produces enough food to adequately feed everyone in the country which means that the problem of hunger in Jamaica has to be in how that food is distributed.

The food and everything else you have to buy to survive depends on you having enough money to buy it.

The problems of deprivation arise when you do not have enough money to buy what you need.

You do not have the money you need to buy what you need because you do not make enough money and this is true in every country on Earth where hunger is a problem.

You do not make enough money because:
1) you are not paid a living wage by your company or employer.
2) there is not enough work for everybody
3) the government has neither the resources nor the will to prevent hunger and is an integral part of the problem as it supports the economic system that now exists.

The problem is the economic system which has as a first priority the right of individuals to amass large sums of money but no priority at all for the basic needs of the people and especially no priority for the needs of the poor.

Take note of my sign-off which could also be written::
"In the world today millions of children starve to death.
Not one is Cuban"

Cuba has a SOCIALIST economy under which the needs of the people and especially the poor are the priority.
It is basically against Cuban law for anyone to be rich because if that were possible it would mean that for every millionaire, 500 people would have to live in dire poverty in that poor country.
That same thing applies as well to Jamaica and the rest of the Third (developing) World. There are a small number of very wealthy people and a great many who don't have enough to eat. Were that wealth to be shared, there would be enough for all.

There is a now famous quote from a Brazilian cleric who said:
"When I fed the poor, they called me a saint.
When I asked why they were poor, they called me a communist"

It's not very difficult to understand even if you know nothing of politics.
You can also learn these basics in any church that teaches the words of Jesus who was quoted as saying:
"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

That is so because a rich man is sitting on his piles of money watching and knowing that the poor around him are starving.

Socialism is no less than the teachings of Christ put into an economic system.

Very easy to understand unless you're a rich man or anyone else supporting a system that would allow anyone to sit on piles of money while children starve to death.