Farming innovations in Michigan can help the world

A hungry child knows no politics. That’s what President Ronald Reagan declared in 1985 after approving food aid to famine-stricken Ethiopia, where hundreds of thousands were starving. There has been some progress in parts of Africa, but big challenges remain. In February, the United Nations declared famine in parts of South Sudan, where 100,000 people could die of hunger without intervention. In addition to South Sudan, families are teetering on the brink of famine in Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Organizations like the World Food Programme are scaling up relief operations to reach the most vulnerable households, but funding shortfalls mean resources aren’t keeping up with the need. People are really facing starvation.