I believe you can soIve world hunger, at a deep structural level, with 6 billion dollars and enough time. It takes a structural approach, getting creative, having a smart plan, finding good skilled leaders, and understanding that making the impossible possible takes a leap of faith... For building an inspired utopia on this gem of a planet is possible - it just is waiting for the pioneers of that vision to make it happen.
Gooey inspiring talk aside - World hunger is a crossroads of multiple issues and you have to be open to new ideas and solutions for different countries, cultures, climates, and economies. It will take the prioritization of new goals, new jobs, and positive alignment with everyday people. Simplified the plan is to invest into regenerative agriculture centers across the globe - and while creating thousands of jobs and green infrastructure - also helps feed and house people in healthy resilient ways(much more on this below). In some areas it will take fighting entrenched big agriculture(and other extractive resource industries) and lobbying governments in help securely deploying. We will put 300 million aside right now to help employ people to manage strategic oversight, accountability, international law, and community outreach for local input into projects.
To answer the accountability part real quick - all funding, purchases, labor, and investments can be organized, tracked, and broadcast to the public. You could set up something on block chain(might help - not my professional area) but I believe an open ledger with similar transparency could be done by and with organized and skilled accounting. This would most likely be easier in a new organization rather than an entrenched one where significant time would be spent at each crossroads of culture and operations. The WFP’s help of feeding people now/urgently is important but so is the mission of a world that no longer needs them because we have better global supply chains and infrastructure that communities can cheaply feed themselves.
Detailed below is much more of the background of this problem and how we solve it. If you think this is a good idea please support by sharing this article. Please tag @elonmusk if on twitter or someone else who may be able to help broadcast this vision and catch the eye of someone who can make it happen. :) Thanks for the read and time people!
So how do you solve world hunger?
The majority of world hunger comes from the developing world. At same time the “Developed” countries still do have groups and areas who deal with intense poverty and hunger. The solutions for each may be quite similar though. We should point out now that money works in interesting ways. For starters it would be impossible to deploy the 6 billion right away and so as project plans, local conversations, and material purchases are being made the money can be in safe investment portfolios and making more of itself. By some estimates at that level 200,000 to 500,000 a month which helps give this project more momentum. Another thing to remember is that the American dollar goes farther in different places, and while when making large global investments into materials that may not matter as much... when it comes to land, labor, and community development we are sure able to healthfully employ and manage a large organized structure.
At end of day it is a lot of supply chain and infrastructure problems. Food, farms, cities, pathways, and towns that are not being made in ways that put the most in need as a pillar worth supporting.
The first two main needs in life is security/shelter and food/water. Missing even one of these makes maintaining or getting the others exceptionally more hard. My solutions help integrate each of those and wanted to be upfront about how the solution has to touch multiple points of conflict to solve the underlying issue.
What do you do than? Create regenerative farm infrastructure and centers near locations and ecosystems that have large reach and/or need. These centers will lay foundation that will over time solve world hunger by bringing investment to local networks with focus of work, food, housing, community, education, and new potential to people. The 6 billion does not immediately solve world hunger but it's investment has the legs to. All while building a world narrative of how we can begin to change this world so no matter where you are born - you get your chance to have, find, and build a fulfilling supported life.
What is regenerative farm agriculture? Regenerative farming looks at the soil, the climate, the plants, the nearby needs, and the laborers as all part of a connected network - one that when done properly can not only keep those things well off but also generates new potential. Diverse farms of legumes, beans, fruit, vegetables, herbs, medicine, hemp, and more with less monocropping and evangelization of processes for expensive(time, natural resources, and money) items like meat, sugar, and alcohol.
A regenerative farm center looks at a region - the people, the ecosystem, supply chain, energy, sanitation, and wellness of life in the area and invests/builds in the infrastructure to create increased economic and environmental potential with green agriculture, energy, and people at its center. Centers like this have potential to invigorate an area towards a better future when done in alignment with the needs and wants of the community.
Let us remember that well maintained and designed agriculture can grow more than just food - Agriculture can grow building materials (hempcrete, trees), rebuild the soil, produce medicine (too many to list), can be a carbon sink of co2 (trees and forests that help shelter crops from wind, hempcrete), and help deal with pollution (water sanitation, mushroom sanitation, fertilizer). With food, energy, medicine, and building materials all their own they have access to newbuilt resilience and potential.
Ok but how do you build that?
The easiest way to break it down is create 110 bundles of 50 million. This is 5.5 billion of the 6 and the lions share of funds that can be deployed to create regenerative agriculture centers across the world. You would split that up across the world and find locations of potential, opportunity, and need. Looking at things like existing supply chains, nearest population centers in need, climate, local interest, and areas that may themselves become future cities and economic centers. In some of these cases it might mean using the fund to also relocate people in need to areas of higher resiliency and security.
My thinking is that each 50 million bundle could in two to six years build regenerative agriculture centers to house and employ between 900-12000 people, depending on region and needs. The reach though of food and resources produced and infrastructure built would impact millions. As given funds any profit structures and surplus created can easily be distributed and invested back into the community, people, and support of more regenerative projects.
It is hard to know exactly how many people you could house, employ, and support with 50 million since each project continues to grow and we are looking at the cutting edge of systemic design. If 50 million can house and employ 5000 people, and whose resource production reaches 10x that group a year(50,000), and grows 5-10% a year, it will reach a million people, per project, within 12 years. Over the 110 bundles that is 110 million over 12 years.
Each of those projects have huge human impact past the number too that I do not want forgotten. Some will read this and say "this model takes 30 years to get there" or "aren't you being optimistic" but you know what?... we get there, and optimism is good when it is forged within the passion of doing things that have never been done and the realism that the greatest leaders in history had the courage to push forward when others thought them naïve.
And I agree that I want it faster - but the world largely does not support transformative ideas and to get further support we need to show them what change looks like. And nothing like 110 global projects to showcase the diversity of what is possible.
Hello great reader!! Thanks for making it to this point :)
We are at about 90% of the completed article. I have some more writing and info I want to add or throw into a follow up piece but what did you think? Think it is a great idea? Have questions? Throw any comments you have below or in the forums.
Also there is still 200 million not allocated if you have been paying attention to the math. I was not sure where to add that in narratively yet but that can act as a general and additional fund that can be looked at in terms of it's best use as things begin and develop. More projects or more overhead along with any profit recieved!
I wanted this out there as I believe smart creative ideas have the potential of changing lives in profoundly positive ways. I saw Elon ask for a plan and no one really gave him one so I decided to create one. It would take the organizing of people and knowledge on a great scale but it could be done. I know many of people who have shared optimism that the knowledge and land may still be used in flourishing regenerative ways if the money and support was there.
There is this interesting moment of public discourse where we may be able to make this reality because of some twitter posts and the fact that individual capital and potential is at the point of nations and international industries. If we are to believe that love can win we have to hold hope that some billionaires are willing to invest in the betterment of all society at grand scales. So Elon, Billionaires, and Governments... Let us make it happen!
Please share on socials and again thank you for the time, thoughts, and attention!
Excited to be sharing creative ideas and be building a special place on the internet for helping make things better. Sometimes the idea is large and world level like this one - sometimes it is just a small guide for if anyone out there has ADHD and struggling(on my to do list to finish and post). If you are interested in writing, sharing, and getting involved visit our forums or collaborate page.
Whatever it is, I want this to be a place for smart and caring ideas and leaders - and continuing to explore the forefront of growing together, creative ideas, technology, compassion, and positive changes worth perusing. -With love, Braeden