> it is purely a property rights issue that we can't connect more hungry mouths with more uneaten food. There's no R&D to be done, there's no unsolved problem w

> it is purely a property rights issue that we can't connect more hungry mouths with more uneaten food. There's no R&D to be done, there's no unsolved problem with a bounty on it Yes, it's a property rights issue.. and more. The problem is motivating those who are holding on to the food to distribute it to those who need it. Clearly if those who need it are providing valuable service to food producers and distributors, there wouldn't be a problem. The issue is really, how do we motivate the distribution of food (and other goods and services) to those who need it but can't justify to the producers and distributors and provide for it? One solution is definitely charity. You pay the producers and distributors to distribute it to the needy. However, this quickly becomes a system that is easy to game. Often it's easier to convince the donor that work has been done instead of actually doing the work. Another solution is government welfare, but it really comes down to the same problem - the objective becomes just convincing those asking for it. The central issue is that those who need it but can't justify it are essentially powerless to motivate others to provide for them. IMHO the only reasonable way is to help these people become net producers in the economy or have more political power.