Uneven food distribution a ‘scandal’

Press, 30 May 1985, Page 5

Uneven food distribution a ‘scandal’

Christchurch organisers of the annual Corso appeal were told last evening of the “scandal” of uneven distribution of food throughout the world.

The general secretary of the National Council of Churches, Mrs Jocelyn Armstrong, told a function held to launch the appeal that there had never been so much surplus food in the world before. “But there also have never been so many hungry people in the world,” she

Mrs Armstrong also spoke of her recent visit to Botswana and Zimbabwe.

She had inspected development of wells and other water facilities in both countries. Water was the first step in development for rural people, she said. Zimbabwe had taken the step of agricultural rehabilitation. Peasants had been resettled on land and given assistance with tools, seeds, and fertiliser. Although Zimbabwe suffered drought for three of its five years of independence, good rain last season had resulted in peasants’ growing 50 per cent of the country’s maize crop. The country was also able

to give 25.000 tonnes of grain to Ethiopia. "That is a success story of long-term development in Africa. Aid money does help African people." Mrs Armstrong said. Corso’s door-to-door collection will be held on Saturday, June 8. Collectors will continue to call at houses missed during the main collection throughout the next week. People will also be able to contribute to the appeal at chemists' shops. About $69,000 was collected in the Canterbury region last year.