Global Food Problems: A quick
overview and economic perspective
• In today’s world do we still have famines and
starvation?
• What is chronic malnutrition and where does
it occur?
• Is there an economic framework for assessing
risk?
• Are there economic benefits of food security
and nutritional wellbeing?
Starvation
• Where?
• Why?
• Why not?
Chronic malnutrition
• Types
• How many?
• Where?
Food Security is an economic concept
• Food security is “access by all people at all
times to enough food for an active, healthy
life.” Reutlinger et al. 1986
• {HH food consumption needs – HH food
production} x Price of food ≤ Income and
liquid assets available to purchase food
– Global food supply and demand determine price
There are economic -- in addition to
humanitarian –benefits of food security
• Enhanced physiological capital is a major
source of economic growth (Robert Fogel)
– Due to improvements in nutrition and sanitation
– Thermodynamic effect: more calories mean more
workers, and more intense effort
– Physiological effect:
more efficient conversion of
energy into work output