I just finished watching 60 Minutes, A show that I don’t usually watch, because it was airing a bit on the efforts of Doctors Without Borders in Niger.  They were telling Anderson Cooper about the wonderful effect that a product called Plumpy-nut was having on the thousands of malnourished children in Niger.  This product is simple to make, easily packaged and does not need refrigeration to store.  The product is made from peanuts, powdered milk, powdered sugar and multivitamins.

As a person who suffers from low blood sugar, I know the benefits of peanut butter and it is a staple of my diet.  What is truly wonderful about this news is that peanuts are easy to grow and replenish the soil that has been depleted by over farming.  George Washington Carver proved its usefulness in the nineteenth century and it is loved by people all over the world.  Although peanut allergies are a problem in the industrial countries but does not seem to be a problem in the under-developed countries.  As we face world hunger and pray for solutions, the lowly peanut rises to the top.

Instead of paying farmers not to grow crops, why don’t we get our governments to pay farmers to grow rice, peanuts, and sugar beets to feed the starving children?  Why not give our unemployed jobs packaging this product and use our mighty military to ship it around the world? 

If you can agree with me that it is better to spend money feeding the hungry rather that waste it on fallowfields, write your government leaders and get behind the effort to save the children from starvation.