Our Vision
What is a "Well-Fed" World?
A well-fed world is one in which everyone has access to food, and the right kinds of food. The right kinds of food nourish people in sustainable ways that maximize well-being and minimize harm... to other people, the planet, and animals.
A well-fed world is one in which people are not malnourished and under-fed, dying of hunger and hunger-related causes… 1,000 people every hour, mostly children.
A well-fed world is one in which people are not malnourished and over-fed, dying by the millions of “diseases of affluence,” such as: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.
A well-fed world is one in which food is produced in ways that prioritize health and the common good. A well-fed world nourishes people, replenishes the planet, and protects animals.
Why & How
Industrialized meat production is rising at an alarming rate. The United Nations predicts it will double between 2000-2050. While there is widespread agreement that increasing livestock numbers and meat overconsumption are "major threats." Despite this, decision-makers and opinion leaders have historically focused on technological fixes to improve productivity (and to a lesser extent population control to reduce demand).
In doing so, they have neglected the relatively easy-to-implement solution of reducing global meat production and consumption, thus reversing the Livestock Revolution.
A Well-Fed World seeks to remedy this situation by:
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Promoting the benefits of sustainable, plant-rich solutions in response to global food security, health, hunger, and environmental concerns.
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Encouraging NGOs, think tanks, social justice leaders, and government decision-makers to promote the benefits and accessibility of environmentally-friendly, plant-based foods in their policies and recommendations.
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Providing resources and educational materials to the general public that facilitate nutritious green food choices.
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Distributing food as an outreach tool and to those in need.
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Empowering locally-active groups with financial and material assistance, especially groups in low-income and disenfranchised communities.
Premises
- Cycling plant foods through animals to produce meat is inefficient and detrimental to global hunger and global warming solutions.
- Demand for animal products is not "given" or "fixed." Demand is created by habit, cultural institutions, politics, and financial interests. Demand for animal products can be reduced through education campaigns and financial incentives.
- Producing and consuming fewer animal products is a much-neglected but critical "part of the solution" for industrialized and developing countries. While this step is not a panacea, it will drastically improve key areas of concern for reducing global warming and global hunger (scarcity, population, prices, distribution, sustainability, pollution, and other related concerns).
History
A Well-Fed World began as an educational campaign in 1999 in response to the International Food Policy Research Institute's (IFPRI) Livestock to 2020 report. This research warns of the dangers of the rapidly increasing livestock numbers, but does not seek to reverse the trend because they deem it "demand-driven."
In 2009, A Well-Fed World expanded to a program-based, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to work at the local, national, and international levels to increase global food security, promote animal-free and environmentally-friendly (green) food choices, and reverse the so-called "Livestock Revolution."
