Oxfam Slams Food Aid Reform In New Video
Food aid and relief organization Oxfam took on a new approach this week to criticize how Congress is handling food aid reform in the upcoming Farm Bill: a video spoof on The Hunger Games with a very serious message.
In the video released this week, a donkey and elephant (get it?) engage in an all-out food fight over a decadent meal. After a few minutes, the message comes up: "Tell Congress to stop playing with food aid." The video, says Oxfam, is to mimic how the group feels Congress is handling the 2012 Farm Bill. The bill regulates food aid programs and are set to expire this year. The video will also be played during shows like The Daily Show and The Cobert Report.
Said Oxfam in a statement, the video isn't usually their style, but feels it's necessary to get the word out. "Washington is playing with our food aid programs, with regulations that protect special interests at the expense of hungry people," said Eric Munoz, policy advisor for Oxfam America. "It is long past time to cut the red tape that costs taxpayers up to $500 million per year. If we modernize our food aid program in the farm bill we can reach up to 17 million more people with life-saving aid at no additional cost to taxpayers."
Mashable reports that Oxfam is also taking on a social media presence to spread the message through Twitter and an online petition. Tell us your thoughts on the video below.