MASSIVE FOOD DEHYDRATION PROJECT SEEKS FINANCIAL PARTENERS TO END WORLD HUNGER

José Eduardo Dantas Ferreira Barbosa
President of the Executive Board of the
United Nations World Food Program
Via C.G. Viola, 68 - Parco dei Medici
00148 - Roma – ITALIA
Fax: 011-39-06-6513-2840

April 07, 2008

Subject: Construction of Plants for Food Dehydration

SUMMARY

I propose the development of a project for the construction of plants for dehydration of fruits, grains and meats that make up the buffer stocks of food reserves of the member states. Its purpose would be to protect food from the action of microorganisms and to increase the useful term of the stocks, seeking to prevent unjustifiable waste and to simplify distribution in emergency situations, considering the frequent news about the deaths of thousands of persons on the planet due to starvation, while great stocks of food are wasted due to the expiry of the validity terms, in addition to the degradation resulting from the precarious storage of natural cereals.
I suggest as well that the International Agency adopt effective actions seeking to stimulate Governments and the public sector to build such plants, stressing that the investment will be considerably less than the damage currently experienced due to inadequate storage conditions, underscoring that such initiative will occupy a vital space between the current wasting of food and the demand for food in areas of conflict or natural disaster, reducing fatalities resulting from the hunger that devastates human life on this Earth.
I would also recommend that the States encourage the establishment of dehydrated food reserves for populations more vulnerable to political instability or to phenomena such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as other threats that may generate extreme food shortages so that rescue agencies may provide in those cases the necessary assistance to those that need it in a reasonable period of time. This can be done thanks to the conservation technology that is available.

JUSTIFICATION

Mr. President,

I would like to congratulate you for your sensitivity and notable dedication to the search for solutions to food problems that affect without mercy a great majority of the planet's population. Since among the responsibilities of the Agency under your Chair is to design food aid policies and to examine, modify or approve any project required to comply with sector demands, I take the liberty of submitting for your consideration a proposal that seeks to encourage member states (especially those of the so-called First and Second Worlds, as well as those classified as 'developing countries') to build plants for the dehydration of food stocks such as meats; tubers, like sweet potatoes, yam and cassava, in addition to cereals and vegetables.

Most of those Nations face great problems in the storage of food and use storage systems that are generally quite vulnerable to weather changes, disasters, rodents, bacteria and fungus. Small and medium size producers are the ones who most suffer these damages.

There is currently evidence of enormous waste of such provisions due to the premature expiry of the validity term resulting from the inadequate infrastructure and precarious packaging that makes them vulnerable to the action of contaminating microorganisms, which may be seriously harmful to the health of whoever may consume them.

A small amount of food, like the one attached, would be received as "Manna from Heaven" by those who are suffering the scourge of hunger. It would be just a matter of adding water and a meal would be ready. The American Armed Forces use this kind of meals, as they are practical and rich in nutrients.

The multiple possible ramifications latent at first sight that could result from the execution of this proposal make me believe that if this should be discussed in the pertinent venues and thus implemented, it could effectively contribute to the attainment of the philosophical objectives pursued by such an important institution.

The construction of plants with the technological capacity to transform food stocks from their natural state to dehydrated stocks or even to a pre-cooked state, in addition to extending the useful term (5 to 6 years, on average) would favor better control of the international registries. This would enable the sale or donation of such provisions, before the expiry date, to international agencies, with the coordination of the United Nations, thus preventing the wasting of food.

It must be stressed that food dehydration lowers the cost of transportation insofar as it reduces the volume and weight, and facilitates the transfer of the stocks between regions, as well as among countries, experiencing calamities resulting from natural disasters or violent conflicts.

In addition to your Excellency and the members of the Board, I would like to inform you that I will share this proposal with His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, due to the enthusiasm and seriousness displayed in his world leadership, in the search for practical solutions of such an inadmissible scourge; especially if we consider that we have in this planet (the developed countries) the technology and infrastructure to solve a problem that compromises part of human dignity itself, requiring only the political decision of the elites that will never suffer from hunger. I am sure that, like you, the President of Brazil will provide for a thorough examination of this proposal. However, independent of any institutional action taken, I will search for partners and financial support in order to create a business plan for implementing the proposal suggested.

Principles of ethics and justice make it necessary to underscore the very significant role of the Organizações GLOBO, created by the legendary Brazilian journalist Roberto Marinho, sorrowfully missed, in the frequent accusations against the intolerable waste of food, which have inspired me to conceive this proposal.

Wishing Your Excellency the best of success, I remain at your disposal for any eventual clarification you may require.

Sincerely yours,

Samuel Sales Saraiva

Member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists – NAHJ
CC: His Excellency the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – Brasilia
Organizações GLOBO – Rio de Janeiro

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About Samuel Saraiva:
Samuel Saraiva is a private individual who feels passionately about fighting world hunger. He also feels very strongly about being responsible of the waste and carbon foot print we leave on the Earth. Samuel Sales Saraiva is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists- NAHJ. He also studied International Relations and has a strong interest in Social issues.
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