第1249期：我们与饥饿之间的距离

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大多数人今天已经不知道真正的饥饿是什么滋味了吧，除了每天夜里你捧着手机不睡觉时感到的那种饿。那种饿有个经典的词来形容——hunger pang. 那种 hunger 不是真的饥饿，只是让你发 pang 的诱惑。

我们每天在担心发胖每顿饭悄悄计算卡路里，大概不会去想世界上还有多少人享受不到这种奢侈。我这样说希望你不要觉得佛老 pretentious 或 cheesy.

很多年前读到过一段震撼心灵的话，不知谁写的。

If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, 

you are richer than 75 percent of the world.

If you have money in your bank, your wallet, and some spare change, 

you are among 8 percent of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, 

you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture or the horrible pangs of starvation, 

you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.

If you can read this message, 

you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

如今重读，仍然觉得震撼。

今天，我们来聊聊贫穷和饥饿，可能离你的生活有点远。

但其实 hunger 离开我们没多远，三十多年前还是大多数中国人每天心头最沉重的一件大事。

八十年代大家都穷，普通人每家每户都一样，每到月底就互相借钱度日。当人人都一样时，人人就不觉得，大概这也是那个年代人心比较平稳的一个原因。

佛老这半辈子里颇见过一些穷人，很穷。

我二十多岁第一次亲眼目睹一个农民工一家五口人的生活惨状时，忍不住当场就哭了。那是我跟贫穷（赤贫）的第一次零距离接触——你无法想象一个人的命运可以悲惨到什么地步。

我家也穷过，但没穷到过我那次看到的那个地步。

贫穷导致饥饿、愚昧、极端、犯罪、暴力、冲突、战争，然后又催生更多贫穷。这是人类最大的一个vicious cycle，至今无解。

What is hunger?

  • Hunger is the distress associated with lack of food. 
  • The threshold for food deprivation, or undernourishment, is fewer than 1,800 calories per day.

Facts about hunger

  • In 2020, between 720 and 811 million people faced hunger
  • In 2030, around 660 million people may still face hunger

What causes hunger?

  • Poverty – Most people who are hungry are living in extreme poverty, defined as income of $1.90 per day or less.
  • Food Shortages and Waste – Nearly one in three people in the world (2.37 billion) did not have access to adequate food in 2020
  • Climate Change – This is the greatest environmental challenge the world has ever faced.
  • War and Conflict – In 2020, conflict was the primary driver of hunger for 99.1 million people in 23 countries.

Do we have enough food for everyone on earth?

  • Yes

Then why is there hunger?

  • Hunger is caused by poverty and inequality, not scarcity. (Eric Holt-Gimenez)

The world already produces more than 1 ½ times enough food to feed everyone on the planet. 

That’s enough to feed 10 billion people, the population peak we expect by 2050. 

But the people making less than $2 a day — most of whom are resource-poor farmers cultivating unviably small plots of land — can’t afford to buy this food. (– https://www.huffpost.com/entry/world-hunger_b_1463429)

近几日读了一本书，看了一个国家的新闻，于是想到了这个话题，觉得一种无以言表的悲伤。

我们能为此做些什么？

似乎不多。

但我们起码可以：

  • 不浪费食物
  • 减少对环境的破坏
  • 抱一颗关怀天下的心
  • 珍惜自己拥有的一切

如果可以的话，为他们祈祷。

参考阅读

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