Mike's Minute: The Salvation Army's claims about kids and food

The Salvation Army says more than a quarter of kids are struggling for food. 

They talk of food security. According to the 'Sallies' it's bad and it's getting worse. 

Are they telling us over a quarter of kids, 27% of kids to be precise, can't get food? 

The definition they use is the United Nations one: "people having access to safe and nutritious food towards a healthy life". 

That’s the problem with people like the 'Sallies' quoting groups like the UN. What the UN mean in that circumstance is the sort of food security you have in Gaza, i.e. none. 

Or they mean food security in flood prone regions, or drought prone regions. That definition is not designed for wealthy, first-world countries, of which we are one. 

So I fear the Salvation Army are misinterpreting what the UN means, either deliberately or not, and using it for political purposes, like the idea that we can't get access to foods. 

They then make claims around cost, which is of course different to access. Cost can prevent access in the sense you can't afford it. They sight meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables. 

In this they are, in part, wrong as well. 

But, just quickly, they argue that the food we sell to the world should be prioritised first to locals here. They don’t for a moment suggest who would pay for that, but I am guessing the Government. 

So the major income earner for the country should be adjusted until we all get all the meat and butter we want, should it? 

Anyway, to their claim on dairy, meat, and vegetables. Yes, we know why dairy prices are high – that’s actually good for the country. 

Meat can be expensive but doesn’t have to be that expensive and fruit and vegetables are not up in price. In fact, the latest numbers show it's down and in any given season fruit and veges can be a bargain. 

So the upshot of their plea is it is, as always, driven by emotion, not fact, and to be blunt, I don't actually believe in excess of a quarter of all kids in this country don’t get food. 

Part of it will be bad parenting and bad choices. 

To solve a problem, if there is indeed a problem, you need fact, an understanding of the fact and logical, sensible solutions, not emotive, clickbait alarmism that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
More than a quarter of kids are struggling for food.
That's what the Selles told us yesterday. More than the
quarter of kids are struggling for food. They talk of
food security. It's bad, according to the Sellis, and it's
getting worse. Are they telling us over a quarter of kids?
Twenty seven percent of kids to be precise, can't get food?
Now the definition they use is the United Nations one
people having access to safe and nutritious food towards a

(00:22):
healthy life. Now, that's the problem with people like the
Sellies quoting groups like the United Nations. What the UN
mean in that circumstance is the sort of food security
you have in Gaza I eat none, or floodplain regions
or drought prime regions. That definition is not designed for
wealthy First World countries, of which we are one. So
I feel the Selles are misinterpreting what the UN means

(00:44):
and using it for political purposes, i e. The idea
that we can't get access to food. They then claim
or make some claims around cost, which is of course
different to access, although I suppose technically cost can prevent
access in the sense you can't afford it. They cite meat, dairy,
food and vedagetables as part of what's gone wrong. But
just quickly they argue, and this is the really dangerous

(01:05):
part that the food we sell to the world, This
is their push, the food we sell to the world
should be prioritized first to locals. Here they don't for
a moment suggest who would pay for that, although I'm
guessing they think the government. Yet again, so the major
income earner for the country should be adjusted until we
all get the meat and butter that we want. Is
that what they're saying? Anyway? They claim on dairy, meat

(01:26):
and veg dairy, yes, we know why. That's actually good
for the country. Meat, well, that can be expensive, doesn't
have to be that expensive, and fruit and vegetables is
actually not as they claim up in price. In fact,
if we look at the latest numbers, a lot of
it's down, and any given season, fruit and vegetables can
in fact be a bargain of course, So the upshot
of their plea is it is as always driven by

(01:47):
a motion, not fact. And to be blunt, I don't
actually believe in excess of a quarter of all kids
in this country don't get food. Do you believe that?
Do you believe that twenty seven percent of kids in
this country don't get access to food. Part of it,
of course, will be bad parenting and bad choices. To
solve a problem, you see, if there isn't be a
problem at all, you need fact and an understanding of
the fact, and logical, sensible solutions, not a mode of

(02:08):
clickbait alarmism that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. For more
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