We Have The Right To Feed The World

Our current system of food production has created an imbalance in which we have enough food to the feed the world, yet there is a large portion of the world’s population that continues to suffer from hunger. Global food insecurities and the unequal distribution of food can be traced back to the fact that we waste our resources. Industrially raising livestock for the consumption of beef is an inefficient use of resources; thus, because it requires an inordinate amount of resources to raise livestock, our decision to raise and consume livestock is immoral. Put simply, even though we may be able to provide for ourselves and ensure that we do not go hungry, it is unethical to waste resources when those in low-income or developing countries can

The global hunger problem is a large problem, “Right now about one billion people suffer from chronic hunger…” (Foley 62). Those suffering from chronic hunger could care less if the calories they receive are in the form of grain or meat. They would be satisfied either way because food, in its most basic form, is supposed to provide us with nutrients. Beef, on the other hand, is a luxury. Highly-developed countries like the United States do not view beef as a luxury because they are able to afford beef and the higher costs associated with it. However, it is immoral to consume beef when your choice to not consume it could lead to the increase of the food supply. Based on an understanding of the effects, the simple act of choosing what to eat becomes a moral decision. What we choose to eat can have far-reaching effects. In this case, the production and consumption of a particular food (industrially produced beef) can lead to the wasting of resources and a shrinking of the food

By shifting the focus from beef and livestock production to agriculture that focuses on the production of grains, we could increase the amount of calories in our food supply by three quadrillion additional calories (Foley 65). These calories would go a long way to erasing the global hunger problem. In addition, this potential solution is underscored by the fact that humans do not need to eat meat to survive, “We can survive without it; millions of vegetarians choose to do so...” (Specter). Again, meat is a luxury, a luxury that is expensive in terms of production price and negative consequences. By eliminating an inefficient step that reduces some of the food supply, we should have an ample supply of food to potentially feed the