Background Information
background info
“What good is it if the Eucharistic table is
overloaded with golden chalices when your
brother is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying
his hunger and then with what is left you may
adorn the altar as well.” St John Chrysostom
Food facts
Urgent needs
Below are some facts and figures about food and
hunger, provided by the United Nations World Food
Program. There is enough food produced to feed the
world’s entire population … BUT
• For food to be recognised as a fundamental human
right through clear national and international policy and
practice – feeding people should be the highest priority
• 1 in 7 people do not get enough food to be healthy
and lead an active life: ie the number of people on
the brink of starvation has now reached 1 billion
• hunger and malnutrition have an impact on health,
worldwide, that is greater than that of AIDS, malaria
and tuberculosis combined
• for “food sovereignty” – where communities have
greater control over their own food production and
agricultural policies
• for a focus on small farms, family-based businesses
and localised markets that will give communities some
protection from global market forces
• a child dies from hunger related causes every six
seconds
• for governments to act on the food crisis in line with
their promise of achieving the Millennium Development
Goals.
• nearly two thirds of the world’s hungry people live in
Asia and the Pacific region
(For further information read Food: A Fundamental
Right http://www.caritas.org.au)
• rising food prices affect the poorest people most
because they must often spend up to 70%
of their income on food alone
• the major causes of hunger are lack
of access to food through poverty,
environmental conditions, conflict,
inadequate infrastructure and unfair
distribution of food resources.
(For further general information go to
www.wfp.org/hunger)
www.simplysharingweek.org.au
Bangladesh
The 2009 resources materials and activities, which
are targeted towards specific age groups, highlight
development programs in Bangladesh. Below is some
current background information about poverty and
food security issues in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh facts
N EPA L
0
0
50 mi
50 km
Bangladesh is about the size of Victoria. While
Victoria’s population is about 5 million, the population
of Bangladesh is approximately 150 million.
M ymens ingh
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is ranked 147 out of 179 countries on the
Human Development Index* (Australia is ranked 4).
80% of the population of Bangladesh lives in rural
areas. Every possible piece of land is cultivated,
depending on the season of the year.
INDIA
Dh aka
INDIA
45% of the population live in poverty.
3.5% of the word’s poor live in Bangladesh.
According to a recent survey by the WFP, UNICEF
and the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN):
• one in four households in Bangladesh does not
have food security
• 58% of the households claimed that they had
insufficient food during the last twelve months
• two million children aged six months to five years
are affected by acute malnutrition
• 62% of total household expenditure was on food
For further statistics see http://www.nationmaster.
com/country/bg-bangladesh
*A scale which measures levels of health, knowledge, and a
decent standard of living (updated 2008)
Ba y of B en g al
(BURMA) MYAN MAR
Background factors affecting
food security in Bangladesh
Because of its location in a delta region, up to 50% of
Bangladesh’s land is prone to annual flooding.
Severe degradation of the environment means that a
large percentage of forests and freshwater wetlands
have gone.
Water pollution, especially of fishing areas, has
resulted from the use of commercial pesticides.
20-25 million people are likely to be affected by climate
change and a potential 2 degrees rise in temperature.
Bangladesh is self-sufficient in rice production but
dependent on imports of many protein-rich foods.
Other factors, including poverty and geographic location,
reduce the accessibility of these nourishing foods.
www.simplysharingweek.org.au