Executive Council Considers World Hunger
Diocesan Press Service. September 27, 1968 [69-7]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- A picture of impending massive famine throughout the world was presented to members of Executive Council by Dr. William G. Pollard, Episcopal clergyman and atomic physicist of Oak Ridge, Tenn., at an evening meeting September 25.
The presentation on World Hunger was one of three major presentations heard by members of the Council during a three-day session at Seabury House. The other presentations were on the subjects of War and Violence and the Work of Women in the Church.
During the program on Hunger Dr. Pollard detailed for the Council the populations trends that will rule during the remaining years of the 20th Century.
He said that the earth cannot feed the projected population, and that even a 30 per cent reduction in the birth rate would merely delay the disaster for a few years.
"This disaster," Dr. Pollard stated, "is unavoidable, for technology cannot meet the problem. Doubtless great strides can be made during the next 20 to 30 years in such development, but the time scale cannot be compressed much below such a period. No foreseeable developments in agriculture seem capable of meeting the expanded food requirements of 1985 in a period of less than 17 years."
While stating that little could be done to avoid such world-wide famine and the resulting social upheaval, Dr. Pollard did state that he felt that a massive effort to control population would, eventually, be undertaken, with a resulting stabilization of population.
He also felt that the major contribution churches can make during such "an age of judgment" is to provide a community of "transcendent hope."
Following Dr. Pollard, the Council heard from Dr. James McCracken, director of Church World Service, world relief arm of the National Council of Churches.
He, like Dr. Pollard, said he is convinced of the impending disaster caused by the failure of food production to meet the geometric rate of growth of the earth's population.
He told the Council of the efforts being made by CWS to alleviate the situation, if only in a small way. Distribution programs have been cut in one-half, and programs dealing with the root causes of hunger increased accordingly.
At the same time, McCracken said, CWS is continuing to meet situations of immediate starvation, and disasters, and is sponsoring food-for-work projects around the world. In such projects, participants are given food for working on projects, such as irrigation systems, tree planting or road building, which contribute to the economic development of the community, itself.
He pointed to such "successes" as India, the Middle East, Vietnam and Nigeria-Biafra, where CWS has been able to alleviate needs.
A first priority, the director of CWS stated, is to "be there;" a second service is to teach; and a third service is to provide for family planning.