In the village of Gankett Guent, in northern Senegal, Elnoche and her daughter Doudos admire the crop of onions they'll soon take to market--part of a women's garden project coordinated by CWS partner ASREAD.

Photo: Marie Varley/CWS

Hunger & Poverty

Resources and updates on the U.S. Farm Bill

In scripture, the welfare of the poor is of primary concern (Matt. 25). Almost half the people on the planet live on less than $2 a day. Six million children die of hunger each before the age of five. 840 million people worldwide are undernourished and one in ten American households cannot afford enough food to meet their basic needs. By addressing the underlying causes of hunger and poverty CWS enables the impoverished to partake of the fullness of life and become self-sufficient through sustainable development.

To many North Americans, development means modernization - more tools, more factories, more fertilizers, and more roads. Yet the point of development is not more things, but more life for all. Development at its best is pro-people, pro-nature, pro-jobs. It gives priority to the poor, enlarging their choices and opportunities, and providing for their participation in decisions that affect their lives.”

Peace & Justice News
Church World Service statement on the 2007 Farm Bill

Resources on Hunger & Poverty

Sowing Justice for Family Farmers Everywhere: a Vision for the 2007 Farm Bill
Publication PDF (1.59 mb) • Postcard PDF (587 kb) • Order Online
This 24-page resource examines key issues that need to be addressed in current U.S. farm policy to support small-scale family farmers in the U.S. and overseas. Comes with a postcard so you can take action.

Making Poverty History:
Hunger Education Activities that Work!

Resolution on Global Warming
Approved by the 2006 General Assembly of the National Council of Churches USA and Church World Service

Exercise Your Fair Trade Muscle: Reach to the Dominican Republic
Resource for Valentine’s Day

Facts Have Faces: Hunger in a World of Plenty
Outlines the dimensions and causes of hunger around the world and around the block.

Millennium Development Goals Backgrounder
The United Nations is focusing on eight Millennium Development Goals to alleviate hunger and address the root causes of poverty.

Sign-on Letters
Note: Most of the letters listed below are PDF files. You will need to have Acrobat Reader installed to view and print these files.

Urging Congresswoman Lowey to support a greater U.S. contribution to the 2010-12 replenishment of IFAD resources (11/02/07)
Advertisement urging the Senate to pass a farm bill that provides hope, opportunity and fairness for all (11/07)
Advertisement urging Senators to support a life-giving farm bill (11/07)
Urging Senator Harkin to support provisions in the Farm Bill that stimulate the production of food around the world (11/05/07)
Urging Senate support for the Dorgan-Grassley amendment to the farm bill (11/02/07)
Urging Senate support for meaningful farm bill reform (10/17/07)
A religious statement on U.S. farm and food policy (08/03/07)
Ad calling on members of Congress to vote for real reform of U.S. farm policy (07/25/07)
Criticizing the House Agriculture Committee's touted reform of the Farm Bill (07/25/07)
Urging House leadership on Farm Bill reform (07/17/07)
Expressing concern to the House Agriculture Committee (and to the Senate Committee, in another letter) about recurring food crises, and supporting U.S. policies that can be mobilized to confront them. (06/04/07)
Asking the House Agriculture Committee to help restore funding for children's nutrition. (06/18/07)

Read more about Church World Service projects worldwide that tap local ingenuity to overcome hunger and poverty • Hunger & Poverty Links