Mia Farrow writes an impassioned request for aid to this sad and impoverished country ("There's a Famine in Chad," op-ed, March 17). Certainly there is a desperate need for help now.
However, the West and the U.S. in particular have been providing aid for more than half a century. Most of the aid has found its way into the bank accounts of the corrupt politicians or is rotting on the docks or used as a weapon against or as a bonus for particular groups (tribes) at the expense of others.
Considering that 60 years ago most of these countries had the same per-capita income as did South Korea (which now exceeds theirs by several-fold), the conclusion is that this aid has only aided and abetted further disasters. Future aid should be predicated on the establishment of the rule of law and property rights to obviate the enabling of continued widespread suffering.
Winter Park, Fla.
With so many hungry children in Chad, it makes no sense for the country to waste water, grains and other resources to raise animals for food. Instead of growing crops to feed animals, farmers could use the land to grow food for malnourished people. According to Vegfam, a 10-acre farm can support 60 people by growing soy, 24 people by growing wheat or 10 people by growing corn—but only two by raising cattle. For the feed cost of one eight-ounce steak, you could fill 45 to 50 bowls with cooked cereal grains. If more nations used land, water, fuel and other resources to produce vegetarian foods rather than meat and dairy, perhaps we really could feed the world.