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Saturday, November 18, 2023

Ending World Hunger with Pasta, Ugali, or Sadza made from Jerusalem Artichoke Flour? Also, Atomic Survival Bread!

First, a recipe for bread from a survivor of the Yugoslav Wars. She calls it atomic bread. Easy to make and stays edible for a long time. 

Bing says

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The cost of ending world hunger is a complex issue and depends on various factors. According to a study backed by the German government, ending hunger by 2030 would come with a price tag of $330 billion. The study suggests that by targeting enhanced aid money more effectively and with greater innovation, a solution is possible. International donors would need to add another $14 billion a year to their spending on food security and nutrition over the next 10 years; more than twice their current contribution. Low and middle-income countries would also have to give another $19 billion a year, potentially through taxation.

However, the United Nations has suggested that just $160 per year for each person living in extreme poverty would eradicate world hunger by 2030. The money should be delivered through both cash transfers and “pro-poor” investments

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GlobalGiving says:

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Estimates of how much money it would take to end world hunger range from $7 billion to $265 billion per year.  

Why such a big range? Because experts disagree about how to end world hunger. Hunger has many causes:

Bad weather

Disease outbreaks

Pests

War

Falling prices for crops

Rising prices for food

Low wages or unemployment 

No single solution can address them all. 

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Greater cultivation of the Jerusalem artichoke could help:

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The tubers can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled.[9]

Before the arrival of Europeans, indigenous peoples cultivated H. tuberosus as a food source. The tubers persist for years after being planted, so the species expanded its range from central North America to the eastern and western regions.[citation needed] Early European colonists learned of this and sent tubers back to Europe, where they became a popular crop and naturalized there. It later gradually fell into obscurity in North America, but attempts to market it commercially were successful in the late 1900s and early 2000s.[7][10]

The tuber contains about 2% protein, no oil, and little starch.

...

Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg potassium per 1 cup (150 g) serving. They are also high in iron and contain 10–12% of the USRDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus, and copper.[53]

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It's tolerant of a wide range of conditions, easy to grow, and nutritious. It can also be preserved for long periods. 

The different types of hunger need to be considered. Is it being caused by a lack of calories, a lack of nutrients, or both?

WHO says:

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Iodine, vitamin A, and iron are the most important in global public health terms; their deficiency represents a major threat to the health and development of populations worldwide, particularly children and pregnant women in low-income countries.

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Vitamins D and B12 are also noteworthy in this category.

Ugali, also called sadza and many other names, is a corn porridge eaten in many countries afflicted by chronic hunger. While it is cheap and filling, it is somewhat low in calories and nutrients. It is usually eaten with beans or vegetables. 

It is possible to make flour with Jerusalem artichokes. That flour could be used to make ugali or sadza. I've also seen recipes where it is used to make pasta. I've never eaten Jerusalem artichokes myself, though it seems they taste like potatoes. 

On the other hand, the inulin in Jerusalem artichokes can cause flatulence. That's not really any worse than what happens with various beans though. 

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