Jeffrey Sachs Quotes
As middle income countries become more affluent, they add meat to their diet Meat puts a double strain on because feeding animals with feed grains to eat the meat adds an extra burden. It takes 10-15 kilograms of feed grain to produce 1 kilogram of beef, so beef in the diet adds an incredible multiplier effect for grains.
There are some who argue that this multiplier is good for economic development in that the nation needs to employ people not only producing more feed grain but also in raising the meat. As the economy grows internally they argue, that this is a positive force which will accelerate the growth even more. Costa Rica is a good example of this where the per capita consumption of meat is large and many are employed growing grain and raising livestock.
Jeffrey Sachs, Political Economist, Interview, BBC World News, May 17, 2013
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
While this was somewhat hyperbolic at the time, it became true during the century.
Hoover headed the American Food agency early in his career. In a sense, he was right. Without American Food, the Allies in Europe woul;d have collapsed, and after the war, Amerocan feed kept the peace.
The president was right. There is enough food to go around. The problem however is logistical, economic, and political. Some countries use food as a weapon to keep their own people under control. The major problem is the distribution of the food. It has to be transported from where it is gown to where it should be consumed. Much food in the third world rots because the transportation system cannot move the food efficiently enough. Even when food is donated to nations, the free or cheap food undercuts the local farmers who go out of business and there is even less food the following year.
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist, academic, public policy analyst and former director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, where he holds the title of University Professor. He is known as one of the world's leading experts on sustainable development, economic development, and the fight against poverty.
