Raj Patel: Stuff and Starved August 27, 2008

How can there be so much starvation in a time of record obesity? Patel shares some answers.

Raj Patel, Activist; Academic; Author, Stuffed and Starved

Stuffed: Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and over 60 percent of us are considered overweight. Starved: Worldwide, nearly a billion people are starving to death, and 35 million Americans went hungry at some point last year. Moreover, Patel contends that the U.S.'s influence in organizations like the WTO and our trade policies on issues like corn ethanol fuel production have driven up food prices, and the issue of starvation must be addressed at home as well as abroad. Why is there such a large discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots for what we all need: food? Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved, strives to answer that question by telling the tale of the global food system.

Location: Club Office
Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. reception/book signing
Cost: $12 members, $20 non-members, $7 students (with valid ID)

Official Website: http://tickets.commonwealthclub.org/open.asp?show=768