The real cause of hunger is the powerlessness of the poor to gain access to the resources they need to feed themselves.
Frances Moore LappRead
Hunger is not caused by a scarcity of food but a scarcity of democracy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hunger stems from political and social systems rather than just food shortages.
This quote by Frances Moore Lapp emphasizes that the issue of hunger is deeply rooted in political and social structures, asserting that a lack of democratic engagement and representation contributes to food scarcity. It suggests that true solutions to hunger lie not only in increasing food production but also in fostering an inclusive and equitable society where everyone has a voice and access to resources.
Themes
HungerDemocracyScarcityFoodPolitics
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about global food security, one might quote this to highlight the need for systemic change.
More from Frances Moore Lapp
All quotes βI'm neither an optimist nor a pessimist. I am a dyed-in-the-woo l possibilist! By this, I mean with an eco-mind, we see that everything's connected and change is the only constant.
Frances Moore LappRead
Hope is not wishful thinking. It's not a temperament we're born with. It is a stance toward life that we can choose...not not. The real question for me, though, is whether m hope is effective, whether it produces or is just where I hide to ease my own pain.
Frances Moore LappRead
We got hooked on grain-fed meat just as we got hooked on gas guzzling automobiles. Big cars made sense only when oil was cheap; grain-fed meat makes sense only because the true costs of producing it are not counted.
Frances Moore LappRead
Hunger is a people-made phenomenon, so the central issue is power: the power of those who make the decisions about what is grown and who, or what, it's grown for.
Frances Moore LappRead
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