Hunger in the News: Poverty Awareness Month, Food Waste

Looking for news on hunger and poverty? Hunger in the News is a regular roundup of notable links from around the Web.

"Poverty rates reflect 'serious moral failure'"

In recognition of Poverty Awareness Month, Bishop Jaime Soto writes an op-ed piece for the Washington Post. "Christ said, 'The poor will always be with you,'" he writes. "That is why the U.S. bishops and partners in the Circle of Protection remain steadfast in the call to protect poor and vulnerable people in the debates around the deficit reduction."

"Criminalizing Poverty"

Bobbie Ibarra, executive director of the Miami Coalition for the Homeless, writes a Huffington Post piece exploring the disturbing trend of criminalizing the behavior of the homeless: "Passing criminal ordinances does not solve this problem; it only makes the situation of persons experiencing homelessness worse by giving them a criminal record that prevents them from obtaining the employment or housing that would allow them to overcome their current circumstance(s)."

"Almost half of the world's food thrown away, report finds"

The Guardian reports that nearly half of the world's food—as much as 2 billion tons—ends up in the trash. The piece cites a study from the UK's Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which blames the waste on "poor engineering and agricultural practices," inadequate infrastructure,  poor storage facilities, and, in the Western world, unnecessarily strict sell-by dates, buy-one-get-one free deals that encourage shoppers to buy more than they need or can use, and consumer demand for cosmetically perfect food.