The Next Moonshot

In 1969, the same year the U.S. sent a man to the moon, President Nixon convened the first (and so far, only) White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health to “put an end to hunger in America for all time.”

The result? 1,800+ recommendations (most of which were implemented) that catalyzed significant progress in federal food and nutrition policy. Examples include major expansions of the Food Stamp Program and School Lunch Program, authorization of the Supplemental Feeding Program for Women Infants and Children, and improvements to nutrition labeling and ingredient labeling.

Despite those accomplishments, 50+ years later, we haven’t put an end to hunger in America.

In fact, we might’ve stopped trying.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many amazing nonprofit organizations and government programs make sure people aren’t hungry today. But we’re not doing enough to make sure those same people aren’t hungry again tomorrow, next month, next year or next decade.

We need radical solutions that end this huge problem for millions of people for good.

We need a “moon shot” for hunger.

It takes imagination to believe that the seemingly impossible (putting a man on the moon) is, in fact, entirely possible if we gather the best and brightest, invest the financial resources and rally public will behind the effort. ?

Turns out it takes slightly less imagination to end hunger because we already know how to do it. I attended the bipartisan Congressional Hunger Center’s annual Hunger Leadership Awards celebration at the end of July. At the event, Board Chair Representative James P. McGovern?(D-Mass.), reminded the audience that, unlike some other persistent global challenges, we know how to solve hunger. The problem isn’t a lack of ideas or human resources – it’s a lack of human will.

Congressional Hunger Center develops emerging leaders in the movement to end hunger in the United States and around the world. By engaging leaders, especially leaders who have experienced hunger and poverty and leaders of color, they bridge the gap between field and policy, community and Congress, theory and practice. In short, they build the human will for the “no-one-hungry-tomorrow” solutions.

Fifty-three years after we put a man on the moon and convened the first White Conference, the Biden-Harris Administration announced they will host another White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this September.

The goal: End hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030, so that fewer Americans experience diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity and hypertension.

With Congressional Hunger Center’s imaginative, collaborative, tenacious executive director, Shannon Maynard in attendance, I’m hopeful that this conference might just be the moon shot spark we need to end this problem for good.

Let’s dream. When we do, anything’s possible.

What’s Next?

While we may always have short-term, emergency or crisis-induced hunger, we could do more to end chronic, persistent malnutrition, hunger or food insecurity.

You can join the effort: make a commitment and share your ideas for next month’s White House Conference. Learn more here.

Because CSR Communications specializes in the human psychology that makes organizational change possible, we’re studying what prevents more social impact organizations from pursuing (and achieving!) “moon shots.” Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on what we learn. If you’d like to participate in one of our future events on this topic, request an invitation here.

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