Good Stuff from Joan Eisenstodt

The song, from "Oliver" (the musical) came to mind when I read the series of vignettes in the Washington Post on 8 June about the food crisis world wide.

Most of those reading this are pretty lucky - probably reasonably well-fed and able, for now, to afford food for themselves and their families.  And  yet, in the United States, Canada and other developed countries, food prices are skyrocketing, somewhat because of the price of oil which means that transporting food is so expensive.

It always surprises me when people in Western countries, and in particular in the US, believe that they are immune to the crises faced by developing nations.  As I read this article (scroll down to each story from each country, about mid-page) I shook my head in wonder about how people are surviving.

More, as I look at the crises faced around the globe - from Darfur to Burma/Myanmar to China and elsewhere, I wonder how people even find a way to go on each day.  I also wonder about our industry, spreading as it is, to and in so many of these countries, depending on laborers from many nations from which people leave to to find work to support their families 'back home.'

What are we, as an industry, doing and thinking, planning and acting on, to alleviate these crises?

How will those on whom our industry depends for service manage when their bellies are empty and they kn0w their families are in crisis?

Are my thoughts too much about doomsday?  I don't think so.  This food crisis is real.  Our industry can do something. 

When will they?