The year 2010 marks the first time in history that the number of chronically hungry people has surpassed the one billion mark. This hunger epidemic is only being increasingly compounded by the effects of the world's economic crisis. This massively large number of undernourished people means, for some countries, an increased level of political instability. In the words of the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization "the issue of world food security is an issue of peace and national security." Last year alone more than 30 countries suffered through food riots. If that isn't impressive enough to warrant international attention, consider this: every 5 seconds a child somewhere in the world dies of starvation.

When we say "we walk because they walk," the "we" is the Clemson Community and the "they".... They are the one billion people who lie down at night wondering how they are going to survive tomorrow without any food. They are no different from you and I but because of their unfortunate circumstances they are forced to walk every day...

They walk for food.
They walk for water.
They walk for wood.
They walk to escape violence.
They walk to seek shelter.
They walk to farm their fields.
They walk to find employment.
They walk to go to school.
They walk to survive.

This is why we walk. When we walk in the CROP Walk, we walk alongside the world...