Browning chief., 1947-07-11
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World Always Needs Food

Released by Western Newspaper Union.
World Always Needs Food
IN A recent issue of Golfers an
official of the department Of ag-
riculture stated there were only two |
acres of tillable ground in the world |
for each of the worlds inhabitants. |
We could have no better authority |
for the statement.
It does not seem possible that SUI
ficient food of all kinds, to keep one
person alive, can be produced on
only two acres. In reality large
portion of the people of the world
are living on food raised on less than
two acres. Some Of the people OF
the world, we in America especially,
are consuming the product OF far
more than the two acres that would
be our share. If we were limited
in our food consumption to the prod
uct of only two acres we would feel
we were starving. On many OF our
western ranches, not less than 70
acres is considered as minimum
for each head of cattle. Two acres
would produce only a limited por,
ton of the beef, pork, mutton and
fowl; of the wheat, corn, oats, rye,
barley, potatoes, vegetables and
fruits of many varieties, that we,
as individuals, pour into our ston-
achs each year. We Americans, as
| individuals, throw away as mucn
food each year as could be pro-
| duced on two acres.
Staggering as such figures are
they can have some real mean
ings for the American farmer.
For one thing they mean we can
be assured of a market for
American farm products pro-
yided an inter governmental
system is set up that will insure
| distribution. 1t can, and must,
| be arranged so that a surplus
of food in one place can be OBJ
tanned by those who need it,
wherever they may be. World
governments can provide an
equitable means Of distribution
if they will. 1t is not JOB for
| any one nation.
DISTRIBUTION PROBLEM
There can be no valid excuse Tor
the wanton destruction of little pigs,
for limiting the production of corn,
wheat or other food products, so
long as there are people in the
world who need food. as many mil
| lions do right now, have in the
| past and will in the future.
To provide method OF world
distribution that will enable those
who need food to get it is problem
right now for world economists and
world statesmen. When they have
done that, every American farmer,
and every farmer in every other
surplus-producing nation, will have
| a market for all that can be pro-
| duced. There then will be no need
| for government subsidies. When the
farmer can sell all he can produce
| for fair price, he will stand on
his own feet.
A second meaning is an en-
phasis on the need for cOnserv-
ing every acre of productive
soil. 1t calls for the exercising
of every known scientific factor
that our soils may not be
washed away in the spring
I
floods, or be worn out by the
excessive planting of one crop.
Every acre of farmland is
valuable part Of the nations
great food producing factory,
and as such must be kept in
working order continuously. 1t
is plant we cannot replace
once it has been worn out for
lack of care. Without it both
ourselves and others will suffer
from hunger more than we, at
least, ever have in the past.
What the farmer needs is con-
tinuous market as an incentive
to keep his part Of the great
plant in working order at all
times.
When the economists and states
men of the world provide market
the American farmer will do his
full part in supplying the people OF
the world with food.