The Third Freedom: Ending Hunger in Our Time

Hundreds of millions of people around the globe suffer from hunger. But hunger, which has plagued the world for thousands of years, is a political condition, writes George McGovern in this plainspoken and necessary call to action. Ending it is a greater moral imperative than ever before because for the first time humanity has the tools and the knowledge to defeat this ancient enemy.

In "The Third Freedom," McGovern lays out a workable and affordable five-point program to end world hunger. The basic facets include these steps:

The United States should take the lead within the UN in working toward a universal school lunch program.
The American supplemental nutrition program for low-income women, infants, and children should go worldwide.
The United Nations must establish food reserves around the globe.
Developing countries must be assisted in improving their own farm production, food processing, and food distribution.
High-yielding, scientific agriculture, including genetically modified crops, must be further encouraged and developed.

There are, of course, problems, concerns, and risks involved in ending world hunger while maintaining the prosperity of farmers, livestockmen, and dairymen, and protecting the global environment. McGovern addresses these and other issues in his logical, down-to-earth way. Understandably, some of the economic and social responses will be controversial. But as he passionately argues, one compelling moral issue is clear: Every major religion and ethical formulation commands its adherents to feed the hungry. We feed the hungry because it is right. McGovern argues persuasively that it will also be economicallybeneficial to all.

As someone who grew up on the plains of South Dakota during the drought and depression days of 1932, McGovern saw some of the world's best farmers flounder under surplus production that they could not sell for a break-even price. At the same time, he read of hunger and starvation in other parts of the world. In this groundbreaking work, he combines his personal experience and political know-how to work toward changing our world.