Comments on: Whole Planet Foundation Helping Through Microfinance

By: Luke

Luke — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:46:36 +0000

Hey Steve! This is really great what you are doing. My mate Christian Wells sent me over here. I started a lending team on Kiva to get people involved in microfinance also. It cool to hear the stories of life change.
Cheers,
Luke

By: Philip Sansone

Philip Sansone — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:45:18 +0000

In a comment, Jim states that he believes that population control is the most pressing problem facing the world today. This is a good topic for further discussion. Studies consistently show that wealth creation (poverty reduction) is the best solution to control population growth. All over the world, and this is even true for the world’s poorest communities, as income goes up, family size goes down.
This may seem counterintuitive, but it won’t once you understand the psyche of the poor. To the poor and in particular the rural farming poor, having many children insures a “free” labor pool to the farm, and is the only form of social security for the parents once they are too old or sick to work. The more children that can survive to adulthood, the better the chances will be that someone will be there to support the aging parents. Once income goes up, family size tends to decrease, because the income source is usually something other than subsistence farming. Plus, the additional wealth allows for higher living standards, better education and nutrition for the children, who, now that they are better fed and cared for have a lower mortality rate. More survive children, so less are needed to be born and the overall feeling of wellbeing increases so that smaller family size results; hence, the best population control is poverty reduction.
Philip
Executive Director
Whole Planet Foundation

By: Angela Bolton

Angela Bolton — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:59:51 +0000

I have written about this foundation in a marketing class and find your actions commendable. Thank you for hard work!

By: james bone

james bone — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:25:02 +0000

Thank you for your good work.

You said: “In my humble opinion, poverty is the most pressing problem facing the world today.”

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, POPULATION CONTROL IS THE MOST PRESSING PROBLEM FACING THE WORLD TODAY.

Regards,
Jim

By: Winnie Hsia

Winnie Hsia — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:36:52 +0000

@Steven We offer loans to our local producers in the US (and soon UK and Canada) through the Local Producers Loan Program. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/locallygrown/lplp/index.html

By: Steven Mandzik

Steven Mandzik — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:41:46 +0000

Wow, what great stories. I would love to hear the projects that they work on, their rate of success, and is whole foods helping out local small farmers with these loans?

By: felicia easley

felicia easley — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:54:57 +0000

Change your thoughts and you can change your world- norman vincent peale