National Anti-Hunger Organizations
A Blueprint to End Hunger
Bread for the World and the nation’s leading anti-hunger organizations renewed their call for all Americans to join them in the fight to end hunger in the United States.
The coalition, working together as the National Anti-Hunger Organizations (NAHO), has updated A Blueprint to End Hunger (PDF), which outlines the steps needed to fight hunger in this country. In the Blueprint, NAHO argues that solving hunger will require a commitment from all sectors of society—government, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals—and specifies the actions needed from each sector.
As the Blueprint makes clear, Americans have the ability and the means to end hunger. The fastest, most direct way to reduce hunger is to strengthen and expand the federal nutrition programs. These programs weave a nutritional safety net and serve as a major bulwark against hunger. By strengthening the programs and improving people’s access to them, the United States could do much more to reduce hunger.
But the Blueprint goes beyond outlining what is needed from Congress and the President to strengthen these programs. It describes the actions state and local governments can take to make the most effective use of the programs. The Blueprint also illustrates how government, businesses, schools, and nonprofits can work together to connect hungry people with the assistance they need, and explains why it is important for everyone to raise awareness of hunger and advocate for policies to end hunger.
Some progress has been made since the original Blueprint (PDF) was released in 2004—most notably the critical new investments made in federal nutrition programs as part of the 2008 farm bill. However, more than 35 million Americans still live on the brink of hunger, including more than 12 million children. Sadly, much work remains in the country’s efforts to reduce hunger, and many of the policies called for in the original Blueprint still apply.
The Blueprint is based on the Millennium Declaration to End Hunger (PDF) which calls upon the nation’s leaders to join together to end hunger. The Declaration explains that ending hunger is a two-step process: first, making rapid progress to reduce hunger by expanding and improving federal nutrition programs and strengthening charitable efforts; and second, finding a long-term solution to the root causes of hunger by reducing poverty and improving economic security.
If you are unable to view the the blueprints, please download the latest version of Adobe Reader.
