World Hunger Introduction
Sources:
The State of Food Insecurity 2015 (FAO)
The World Food Problem (2009, Leathers and Foster)
World Hunger Facts
• Worldwide, about 800 million
people are undernourished
– Most in the Developing world
• Don’t get enough calories
each day
– Susceptible to illness
– Unable to lead productive lives
• Chronic undernourishment
– Due to extreme poverty
• But undernourishment has
been slowly declining since
1990
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2004/112-14/hungry.jpg
Decrease in Undernourishment since 1990
Undernourishment 1990-2015
Hunger has increased in Sub Saharan Africa
World Hunger Issues
• Poorest cannot afford food
– Food prices up
• Increased demand from
emerging countries
– Economic development
• Population increase
• Biofuels production
• Reduced crop production
– Climate change
– Slow Economic Recovery
• From recession of 2008
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/faohome/home_photo/image_home_en.jpg
World Hunger Facts
• Over 20,000 people die
each day due to causes
related to undernutrition
• ¾ of these are children
under the age of 5
– About 6 million/year
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2005/06/30/poverty_wideweb__430x387.jpg
Undernutrition and Child Death
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/a0200e/a0199e.pdf
http://rehydrate.org/images/child-deaths-undernutrition.gif
Common Scenario
• Mother
– Poorly educated
– Food is scarce
– Several children
• Youngest child
–
–
–
–
–
http://static.flickr.com/73/193642829_3da338122c.jpg
undernourished
Disease resistance low
Drinks unsanitary water
Develops diarrhea
Loses interest in eating
Common Scenario
• Mother removes solids
from child’s diet
– Not enough nourishment
to fight disease
– Diarrhea continues
• Mother removes liquids
– Dehydration
– Death
http://www.aa2sbu.org/aaezine/images/Fall2002/Starving_child_carried.jpg
Malnutrition Cycle
http://notaids.com/images/cycle.gif
Importance of Maternal Health
1 in 6 babies in developing countries have low birthweight
http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/a0200e/a0200e00.htm
Causes of Hunger
• Poverty
– 2.3 billion people
earn less than
$2/day
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050513/d.jpg
Causes of Hunger
• Extreme Poverty
http://www.thp.org/africa/1bapr1-360.jpg
– 1.3 Billion people earn
less than $1.25/day
– 75% of these live in rural
areas
• many unable to own land
– Worst in Sub-Saharan
Africa
Extreme Poverty
Percentage who earn less than $1.25/day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Percentage_population_living_on_less_than_$1.25_per_day_2009.svg
Causes of Hunger
• Harmful Economic
Systems
– Control over incomes
and resources by
• Military
• Wealthy
• Politically powerful
• Conflicts
http://us-cdn.creamermedia.co.za/assets/articles/attachments/31567_i1683e.pdf
Where are the Undernourished?
World Hunger Map
www.feedingminds.org/ img/map_world.jpg
Sachs, J. 2005, The End of Poverty; Economic Possibilities for Our Time.
Worldwide life expectancy
http://www.theglobaleducationproject.org/earth/images/final-images/life-expectancy-map.gif
Side effects of Hunger and Poverty
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/a0200e/a0199e.pdf
Population Pressure
• World Population has
doubled in 40 years
– Most of increase in
developing countries
• 5 billion people
• Poverty and economic
insecurity result in
population growth
http://www.sustainablescale.org/images/uploaded/Population/World%20Population%20Growth%
20to%202050.JPG
– Children are a source of
wealth to the poor
Hope: Demographic Transition
• Example: U.S.
History
– When U.S. became
industrial, fewer
kids/family needed
• Lowered infant
mortality
• No need to rely on
children’s labor
• More opportunities
for women
• Happened without
birth control
http://bss.sfsu.edu/tygiel/Hist427/1920sphotos/fordassemblylinehist102.jpg
Agricultural Revolution
Hunters &
Gatherers
Conquest
for land
Agriculture
Expanding
population &
environmental
destruction
Technology
Culture
Food
production
Population
Growth
Effect of the Agricultural Revolution
Elite
Wealth,
Tribute
Wealth:
Own land, Well-fed Educated,
Health care, Opportunities
Food,
Resources
Conquered & Exploited:
Peasants, Slaves, Workers
Poverty:
Landless, hungry,
uneducated, unhealthy,
no opportunities
Effect of the Industrial Revolution
Sachs, J. 2005, The End of Poverty; Economic Possibilities for Our Time.
Issues
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.resurgence.org/2005/egziahber233.jpg
&imgrefurl=http://www.resurgence.org/selection/egziabher1005.htm&h=350&w=350&sz=1
1&hl=en&start=15&tbnid=svh3od2uZpp9bM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq
%3Dfeed%2Bthe%2Bworld%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8
Nutrition
Food Security
Agriculture
Environment
Technology
Education
Culture
Development
Ethics
Ethics
• Is hunger and poverty
morally acceptable?
• Why or why not?
• What should we do?
http://www.whilechildrenstarve.org/images/starving-child-4.jpg