Why People Still Starve Barry Bearak New York Times Pulitzer Prize

Malawi Hungry season –December – March –Maize still in field –Families get by with one meal a day Handful of greens –Children joyous to eat termites Edible Termites

Adilesi Faisoni Grandmother of 7 –Husband Robert died of hunger Worked up until the hungry season Then reduced to begging Hungry season diet: –Pumpkin leaves and wild vegetables –Daughter Mdati died of hunger Left 4 children –Three died –Lives with other daughter hut And 7 grandchildren Malawi grandmother o_Crisis_Point.html

Famine Crisis in Malawi No tyrannical dictator No civil war or marauding army No disasterous weather Grain was in stores –Poor could not afford Aid agencies –Argued about whether famine was happening

Banda Dictator –Amassed a fortune on licenses to grow tobacco for export –Tolerated apartheid –Anti-communist Supported by U.S. Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda 1_1/Hastings_Kamuzu_Banda.html

Structural Adjustment IMF and World Bank policies –1990’s loans Poor thought to be best served by free market –Reduced subsidies –Monopolies sold off Currency dropped value –Fertilizer costs went up 5x Farmers couldn’t afford Malawi fertilizer

Malawi dependent on donors Malawi sees wealthy nations as hypocritical –Give subsidies to their own farmers Lowers world price of grain –But IMF loan policies deny subsidies to Malawi farmers Aid Agencies see government in Malawi as –Wasteful –Dishonest

World Bank 1998 gave fertilizer/seed starter pack aid –Some families ate bean seeds –Produced bumper crop of corn Bought by Malawi with loans 1999 gave less aid –Suggested Malawi sell off corn Interest payments too high Reserve corn sold by Malawi –profits disappeared Yields lower –Result: famine Malawi famine

Village Chief Considered Wealthy –Cultivates 15 acres Grows corn, tobacco, cabbage, lettuce, turnips, sugar cane Fertilized fields –Owned ox cart, bicycle, 6 donkeys, 4 goats –Two wives Brother was Robert who died of hunger –Chief did little to save him Malawi village chief