In an editorial in today’s Boston Herald, George and Jim McGovern ask both presidential candidates to focus more attention on alleviating hunger and poverty both in the US and abroad. They ask the next president to appoint a hunger czar which they describe as “a point-person in his administration to oversee and coordinate the various food, nutrition and anti-poverty programs that fall under the jurisdictions of many different departments and agencies – so we can develop a single, comprehensive and concrete plan to end hunger here at home and around the globe.”

Excerpts below, full piece here

The number of hungry people in the world is fast approaching one billion. More than 400 million are children. Here in the most prosperous nation on the planet, there are more than 35 million of our fellow Americans who can be classified as hungry. There is not a single community in our country that is hunger free.

This is a serious crisis that is getting worse. And what is maddening to us is that those in positions of power to fix the problem seem indifferent. Hunger is a political condition. We have everything we need – including enough food – to end hunger in the United States and around the world. However, we lack the political will to make ending it a priority.

Let’s rework our foreign aid programs and reprogram some of these tax dollars to focus instead on ending hunger. Rather than sending more and more weapons, let us send increased food or funding to grow, produce and buy food in-country. It will enhance our national security. It will also save more lives, create stability and get people in other parts of the world to view the United States favorably. This may be a radical idea in Washington, but we believe when people like us they are less likely to do us harm.

-Chris Scott