Show V Food Da Day y Here are a few facts you may mayor or may not be aware of The US U.S. military budget is 60 times greater than the budget budget budget bud bud- get for overseas economic aid During a 14 hour period the Defense Department spends more than the entire annual budget of the United Nations food program Only about 40 percent of Americans eligible for food stamps currently receive them and President Ford has an am pounced his intentions to cut the food stamp program budget budget budget bud bud- get by about one billion dollars dollars dollars dol dol- lars or 25 percent The ad budget of General Foods is almost three times bigger than the budget of the Food Bureau of the US U.S. Food and Drug Administration The American meat-based meat diet deprives the world of 18 million tons of cereal protein an amount almost equal to the worlds world's protein deficiency Americans consume on the average about one hundred pounds of sugar each year Some sugar foods cereals cereals cereals eals for instance contain up to 50 percent sugar Diet contributes to half of all att deaths in the United States Soaring food prices increasing increasing increasing ing world food shortages and mounting evidence of the dangerous health effects of the overly processed and refined American diet indicate that if left to its own devices the federal government will not take the steps necessary to develop a responsible food policy The food i- i AA a try the corporations that Ting ring you IOU Cool Whip and have Twinkles sold Americans on a diet of sugar-laden sugar rich fat-rich C f G c Cn n nJ e r V r J tw Q S- S rr r- r ence foods that are contributing contributing contributing con con- to a national epidemic ic of heart disease and diabetes diabetes diabetes tes not to mention obesity and hypertension While encouraging encouraging encouraging en en- unhealthy eating habits through advertising and availability these corporations are also contributing to high food prices A Federal Trade Commission study estimated that consumers mers were overcharged overcharged overcharged over over- charged 2 billion in 1972 because of the monopolistic structure of several segments of the food industry t I As government and corporate corpor corpor- ate makers decision-makers allow the food situation to deteriorate further it becomes clear that individuals and organizations in communities and campuses across the nation will have to begin c r. r education ef- ef fort an effort aimed at changing changing changing chang chang- ing personal eating habits improving improving improving im im- im- im proving food welfare pro pro- grams corporations that promote the sale of billions billions billions bil bil- bil- bil lions of dollars worth of nutritionally nutritionally nutritionally empty resource- resource squandering junk foods in investigating investigating investigating in- in business agri-business practices practices practices tices that are forcing small farmers off the land and deve developing deveto de de- de- de ve veto lop p i n g national policies wh which ich recognize ize the needs of hungry people at home and abroad This job requires a national organ organizing iz ing effort The nonprofit nonprofit nonprofit non non- profit Center for Science in inthe inthe inthe the Public I Interest in conjunction tion with dozens of other groups and individuals is building a movement to take on th this IS task a movement that will blossom on FOOD DAY a national day of action on the food crisis FOOD DAY is set for April 17 1975 We hope that college and university students will take part in FOOD DAY using their campuses as organizing focal points for both campusand campusand campusand campus- campus and oriented community-oriented As a first step in accomplishing accomplishing accomplishing lishing this we urge students and faculty to set up joint co committees m m i to investigate what can be done at your campus such as creating a community campus-community garden or food crop in initiating sweeping changes in university food- food buying policies getting nutritious nutritious nutritious food in vending machines machines machines ma ma- chines or planning massive teach-ins teach for April Students at the Universities of Mich Michigan igan and Wisconsin are already planning teach-ins teach for next spring At Yale a stu stu- stu- stu faculty dent-faculty committee has week six-week lecture dis planned a series on world food problems and has already organized organized organized or or- a fast in which over 2000 students participated Teach-ins Teach provide an excellent forum for educating and organizing organizing organizing or or- people both on campus camp camp- us and in the community The food problems which face the nation and the world demand immediate action I Ini Initial Initial Ini- Ini ni- ni FOOD DAY actions may not make headlines or quickly change Federal or corporate policies but they will witt put de de- de- de makers on notice that the American public is no longer wi willing ling to participate in inthe inthe inthe the wasteful use of food re re- re- re sources The rise of the environmental environmental environmental environ environ- mental movement and the end to to direct American involvement involvement involvement involve involve- ment in the Vietnam War are directly traceable to campus activity The students of America can once again make a commitment to actions that can resu result It in overdue long-overdue changes in the way in which the Federal government corporate corporate corporate cor cor- America and individuals als decide how and to whom food will witt be allocated FOOD DAY national offices offices offices of of- are open at 1785 Massachusetts Massachusetts Massachusetts Massa Massa- Ave NW Room Wash Washinton i DC D.C. If you are interested interested interested in in- in organizing FOOD DAY teach-ins teach or other activities activities activities ties contact the office for further information and organizing organizing organizing organ organ- izing suggestions |