David Unger’s new book is the true story of José
Andrés, an award-winning chef, food activist, and founder of World Central
Kitchen.[1]
This disaster relief organisation helps working-class communities when
catastrophe hits. Although primarily aimed at children,
adult readers learn much from Unger's understated and thoughtful text.
The book is beautifully illustrated by Marta Alvarez
Miguéns, a freelance illustrator based in La Coruña, Spain. Her previous works
have included A Tiger Called Tomás, Dinosaur Lady and Shark Lady, which was
named a Best STEM Book by the Children's Book Council and the National Science
Teachers Association.
Jose Andres and his organisation are very busy at the
moment. Every day, a new disaster, war, appears, coupled with the massive
growth of world poverty and hunger. According to The State of Food Security and
Nutrition in the World 2022, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and World
Health Organization (WHO), have reported that up to 828 million people, nearly
11 per cent of the world’s population, faced hunger in 2022. The number has
grown by about 140 million since the start of the pandemic.
There is no doubt about Andres's sincerity and
bravery in alleviating world hunger and poverty, saying, “What we’ve been able
to do is weaponise empathy. Without empathy, nothing works.”.But the cruel reality
is that Andres's work is insufficient to defeat world hunger and poverty.
Jean Shaoul writes, “World leaders are acutely aware
of the repercussions of the spiralling cost of food as workers demand pay
increases and take to the streets in protest over their deteriorating living
conditions in rich and poor countries alike. But the fight for decent wages,
affordable food, necessities and a massive increase in wages means that the
working class must unite across workplaces, industries, countries and continents
in a global political struggle against the capitalist class and its governments
and to put an end to the imperialist war.”[2]
