Author Calls for Global School Lunch Program

Invoking the same spirit that fueled the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, author and historian William Lambers calls for a global school lunch program to fight child hunger.

Mr. Lambers recently partnered with the UN World Food Programme, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, ChildsLife International and Shakira's Barefoot Foundation on a book about school feeding programs. The book is titled Ending World Hunger: School Lunches for Kids Around the World.

Interviews with officials from these organizations detail the need for expanding school feeding. Over 50 countries are represented in the publication including Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Colombia, Nepal, Ethiopia, Mali, Iran and Somalia.

There are over 300 million children who suffer from hunger worldwide. School lunch programs fight child hunger and also boost school attendance and performance.

Supporting the U.S. government McGovern-Dole Food for Education program is seen as key to ensuring every child around the globe can receive a school lunch. Named after former Senators George McGovern and Robert Dole, this initiative helps fund the work of the World Food Program (WFP), Catholic Relief Services, World Vision and other organizations that carry out school lunch programs in developing countries.

School feeding is considered a critical aspect of any strategy to end world hunger. New congressional legislation titled "The Roadmap to End Hunger," emphasizes school feeding among other programs to set the world on a path to end hunger. This bill, H.R. 2817,would also create the position of a White House advisor to President Obama on global hunger issues. This same advisor would coordinate the response to hunger from various U. S. agencies. Citizens are asked to show their support for the Roadmap to End Hunger by writing to their representatives in Congress. It's important that citizens emphasize the importance of the McGovern-Dole Global School Lunch Program as part of the Roadmap to End Hunger.

"We have the resources to end hunger in our lifetimes – what we need is the political will to make it happen," said Rep. Jim McGovern. "The Roadmap provided us with some excellent recommendations. It is clear to me that we need a serious, coordinated strategy to effectively address hunger."

"This legislative effort, like the Roadmap to End Hunger, outlines a comprehensive strategy to make sure this global problem gets the highest level of attention possible from the U.S. government until it is solved," said Rep. Emerson. "I´m grateful for Jim McGovern´s leadership on this issue, and I am proud to fight by his side. Americans need to hear the non-partisan message that hunger is a global problem with national implications, such as international agricultural development and discouraging violent extremism."

Mr. Lambers also released a book on school feeding in 2008 titled, The Spirit of the Marshall Plan: Taking Action Against World Hunger, School Lunches for Kids Around the World.

The "Spirit of the Marshall Plan" highlights the use of school lunch programs in Europe following World War II and how they can be used today in countries like Afghanistan, Kenya, Guatemala and Sudan. The future of these nations depends on a nourished and educated youth. Special attention is given to the work of charities such as Food for the Poor, Childslife International and the World Food Programme.

For more information about the two books and building a global school lunch program please visit School Feeding Programs and the Global Hunger Crisis. Online copies are available of each book and printed copies can be obtained from Amazon.com books.