DigiActive.org

Campaign: Free Rice

Description: Agricultural statistics are difficult to attain and must always be reviewed with care. However according to the current FAO statistics, the Least Developed Countries (49 of the worlds poorest countries) produce approximately 10% of the worlds food, whilst Europe and the US produce between 20-30% each.

And so in a world of adequate food supply, food shortage is still a daily reality. About 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes (according to the United Nations). This is one person every three and a half seconds.

Poverty.com in partnership with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has started an innovative new campaign that takes one small but effective step to address this gap.

Tools: facebook, on-line petitions, blogs, wiki

How these tools are being used: The Free Rice campaign challenges the user with a simple game. Subjects include Art, Chemistry, English, Geography, Languages and Maths For every right answer 20 grains of rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The WFP distributes the rice globally based on the greatest need and the website includes a video report on how the rice is distributed.

As the game progresses a tally of the total donation is maintained on the right of the page. Banners at the bottom highlight details of donors to the program.

The program has been running since October 2007 and over 45 billion grains have been donated so far. This is equivalent to feeding 2.5 million people. (The WFP estimates that it takes 400 grams of rice to provide a person two meals a day. With about 48 grains of rice in a gram, this is equivalent to 19,200 grains).

The campaign has utilized a marketing campaign that encompasses wikipedia, facebook (the group has over 100,000 members), snopes, youtube and blogs.

What you can do:

1. Play the game
2. Pass the word about the campaign (banners and logos are available on the website)
3. Add your name to the One Campaign
4. Find out about how you can involve your community