2011-2012
DISCUSSION OUTLINE
FEEDING THE WORLD
Jason Olson, Adrian High School, Class A
Mike Worcester, Buffalo High School, Class AA
Minnesota State High School League
2100 Freeway Boulevard
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-1735
www.mshsl.org
1
Overview of Discussion
“Problem-solving Discussion is an effort on the part of a small group to
reach a solution to a problem through informal interchange of facts,
inferences, and judgments. This method of discussion seeks
consensus rather than majority rule. The focus of this event should be
the encouragement of cooperation and critical thinking to arrive at the
collective goal of better understanding and problem solving.”
This statement from the Minnesota State High School League Speech Rules and
Policies Manual reflects the true spirit of this event. As discussion participants
prepare and research, the goal should be to collect information and develop
collaborative skills that will maximize their ability to make valuable contributions
as members of a variety of contest groups. In rounds, all discussants should
cooperate to achieve group consensus through both substantive (adding
valuable information, perspectives, and analysis) and procedural (enhancing the
group process, full participation, and positive exchange of ideas) contributions to
the discussion.
Overview of This Year’s Topic
In 2010, the World Hunger Organization reported that current global agricultural
production provides enough food to, in theory, give every person on the planet a
diet of 2,700 calories per day, which is more than enough for the typical person's
needs. Yet they also noted that, in 2010, there were an estimated 925 million
people classified as “Hungry.” The reasons for this disparity are certainly varied
and definitely complicated. The purpose of this year’s Outline is to try to
understand how our world can produce so much food and still have high rates of
hunger, malnutrition, and famine. Discussants are expected to try to understand
that production and distribution are not abstract topics, but rather social,
economic, and political concepts that are influenced by a variety of forces at work
in the world today.
A Note on Use of Topics at Invitationals
While the Minnesota State High School League does not limit the use of topic
areas used for Discussion in invitational speech tournaments, the Discussion
Committee recommends the following “schedule” to give students experience
with all parts of the outline:
 January - February 11: State Topics (III. Impact Issues)
 February 13 - March 5: Sectional Topics (II. Security Issues)
 March 6 - Start of Subsections: Subsection Topics (I. Scarcity Issues)
Tournament Managers Please Note: Whether or not you choose to follow the above
schedule, it is vital that you communicate to your participating schools which parts(s) of
the outline you will use and how you will be organizing your Discussion rounds.
2
FEEDING THE WORLD
2011 - 2012 MSHSL Discussion Topic Outline
Discussion tasks this year will center on the interrelated nature of how food production,
distribution, hunger, malnutrition, and famine affect the global community. What goes on,
for example, in the Horn of Africa affects not only those five nations, but all of us in one way
or another. Tasks for this topic should not shy away from covering what may be considered
sensitive or difficult topics. All efforts should be made to ensure that the questions posed to
the students encourage critical thinking and positive group interaction.
I.
Scarcity Issues – Subsection Topic
A. Famine: Causes, Results, Solutions
B. Land utilization: Overproduction, Desertification
C. Access to Clean Water
D. Affordability: Costs vs. Household Income
E. Effects of Climate Change: Rainfall Patterns, Temperature Changes, Growing
Seasons
F. Population Growth vs. Production Capabilities
G. Equal Access among World Nations
H. Use as an Energy Source
II.
Security Issues – Section Topic
A. Governmental Instability.
B. Food Safety: Production, Distribution
C. Genetically Modified Organisms – Are They Benign?
D. Use of Food as a Political Weapon
E. Industrial Agriculture (Monopolization)
F. Safety Net Programs and Their Effectiveness
G. Social Disorder
H. Effectiveness of Protection Organizations (i.e., Food and Drug Administration)
III.
Impact Issues – State Topic
A. Pollution Effects
B. Environmental Changes
C. Genetically Modified Organisms – Effects on the Environment & Ecology.
D. Aid Organizations – Are They Effective?
E. Health Concerns: Obesity, Disease, Prevention
F. Industrial Agriculture (Monopolization)
G. Trade Agreements – Effects on Food Production and Distribution
H. Trading of Food Items on Global Commodities Markets.
For subsection, section, and state contests, different sets of tasks will be used for Class A &
Class AA. There is no collaboration in the writing of these. Any similarities between tasks
used at those contests are purely coincidental.
3
Bibliography
(The bibliography is a starting point for those desiring direction in researching this topic.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive and presents only a small number of the resources
that could be used to prepare for Discussion tasks.
Books
McDonald, Bryan L. Food Security. Cambridge: Polity, 2011.
Patel, Raj. Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System.
Brooklyn: Melville House, 2008.
Pilcher, Jeffrey. Food in World History. London: Routledge, 2005.
Robin, Marie-Monique. The World According to Monsanto: Pollution, Corruption, and
the Control of the World's Food Supply. New York: The New Press, 2010.
Runge, C. Ford, Benjamin Senauer, Phillip Pardey, et.al. Ending Hunger in Our
Lifetime: Food Security and Globalization. Washington, D.C.: International Food
Policy Research Institute, 2003.
Schanbacher, William D. The Politics of Food: The Global Conflict between Food
Security and Food Sovereignty. Westport: Praeger, 2010.
Shiva, Vandana. Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply. Cambridge:
South End Press, 2000.
Winders, Bill, with Foreword by Professor James C. Scott. The Politics of Food Supply:
U.S. Agricultural Policy in the World Economy. New Haven: Yale University
Press, 2009.
Articles
Brown, Lester R. “The New Geopolitics of Food.” Foreign Policy. May/June 2011:
54-63. Print.
Goldenberg, Suzanne. “Horn of Africa Hit by Global Food Factors, Says World Bank.”
The Irish Times: The Irish Times, 17 Aug. 2011. Web.
4
Lazar, Kay. “A Rising Hunger among Children.” Boston Globe: Boston Globe, 28 July
2011. Web.
Marusiak, Jenny. “Radical Changes in Agriculture Needed for Food, Water Security.”
Eco-Business.com, 30 Aug. 2011. Web.
Olson, Eric D. “Protecting Food Safety: More Needs to be Done to Keep Pace with
Scientific Advances and the Changing Food Supply.” Health Affairs 30.5 (May
2011): 915-923. Print.
Sticklor, Russell. “The Hungry Planet: Global Food Scarcity in the 21st Century.” World
Politics Review, 09 Aug. 2011. Web.
Yach, Derek, Zoe A. Feldman, Dondeena A. Bradley, and Mehmood Kahn. “Can the
Food Industry Help Tackle the Growing Global Burden of Undernutrition?”
American Journal of Public Health, 100:6 (June 2010): 974-980. Print.
Magazines
The Economist
Considered the gold standard by many for coverage of world economic issues.
Published every week, it is especially helpful for newly developing situations.
Much of this outline was based on items that originally appeared and were
continually referenced in this publication.
Foreign Affairs
Journal published every two months, it remains one of the most informative
publications covering the world. Especially useful for some of the more obscure
situations that aren’t normally covered in Newsweek, Time, or U.S. News and
World Report.
Websites
World Hunger Organization: www.worldhunger.org
.
United Nations World Food Programme: www.wfp.org
Doctors Without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org
CARE USA: www.care.org
World Health Organization: www.who.org
Oxfam International: www.oxfam.org
5