Archive for category: Food Insecurity

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How Food for the Poor Is Fighting Poverty in Honduras

Food for the PoorHonduras is located in Central America and suffers from high levels of poverty. According to the World Bank, Honduras is one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the Central American region, with more than 50% of the population living in poverty. Food insecurity in the region remains high due to climate activities and the poor economic state of the country.

Furthermore, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) estimates that 23% of all children less than 5 years old in Honduras suffer from stunting as a result of chronic malnutrition and how vital it is that this issue be addressed.

Food for the Poor (FFTP)

Food For the Poor began operating in Honduras in 1999 in order to help mitigate the effects of Hurricane Mitch, which battered Central America in 1998. FFTP works alongside charities such as CEPUDO, which is a locally-based charity operating in San Pedro Sula. Currently, FFTP is involved in 99 projects and aims to:

  • Builds schools to provide access to education above grade six.
  • Establish livelihood and income-generation projects.
  • Ship and distribute food to support nutrition programs at schools and community centers.
  • Ship medicine, pharmaceuticals and supplies to hospitals and clinics across the country.
  • Build safe and secure homes for families.
  • Send items to be included in emergency kits as part of emergency preparedness and response efforts.

Furthermore, in an effort to combat food insecurity in the region, FFTP partnered with Feeding My Starving Children and sent 62,208 MannaPack Rice meals to hundreds of Honduran families facing food insecurity in 2023. MannaPacks are a special meal for malnourished children that contains protein, vitamins and minerals. It is aimed at undernourished children in the Global South.

Partnerships

In 2009, FFTP partnered with CEPUDO to provide 5,000 Honduran schoolchildren with new desks and 48,000 residents with new shoes. This was in addition to the $204 million worth of educational supplies, food and health care items donated by FFTP in the previous years. The Executive Director of FFTP claimed that the most important way of breaking the cycle of poverty is through education and that was the spark behind the desk program.

CEPUDO and FFTP also provide workshops and training classes in education and community centers to aid poverty-stricken communities. Currently, the organizations are building a sustainable village in San Antonio. The village will “provide greater access to education, food, health, income generation and safe housing for families in need.”

This sustainable village will feature a vocational agricultural school. Additionally, there will be a health clinic designed to serve more than 1,000 residents and a women’s income-generation center. The organizations are also supporting local coffee farmers and implementing women’s empowerment training workshops that support careers in baking, sewing and more.

– Cordelia Moore

Cordelia Moore is based in Lewes, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Genetic Innovations Lifting African Farmers Out of Poverty

Genetic InnovationsAlmost 430 million people in Africa face extreme poverty. This is nearly a third of Africa’s population. The World Bank reported that the majority of these people rely on agriculture, making the link between poverty and agriculture inextricable. Although agriculture can be a prosperous sector, African farmers often lack the resources and genetic innovations that have afforded farmers around the world such a surge in their production.

This is exemplified by sub-Saharan Africa’s fertilizer use being seven times lower than the global average. Another challenge farmers face is the increasing frequency of drought. Drought inhibits agricultural production and exacerbates food insecurity, displacement and poverty. However, genetic innovation provides a solution to these problems.

Providing African farmers with livestock and crops that are genetically optimized to thrive in these conditions has been incredibly effective. These are some of the genetic innovations lifting African farmers out of poverty.

Drought-Resistant Rice in Guinea

Although rice is farmed within Guinea, the country still imports around $230 million worth of the commodity each year. The low output of rice in Guinea can be partly attributed to harsh growing conditions in the region. The rice species that have adapted to these conditions are naturally low-yielding.

A genetically superior type of rice called New Rice for Africa (NERICA) has been created to help Africa overcome this problem. By breeding high-yielding Asian rice variants with the lower-yielding but adaptive African variant, NERICA was born as the first rice variant to produce a high yield in Africa’s climate. Even in the absence of fertilizer, these variants generate 50% more yield than other rice varieties.

Not only is NERICA higher-yielding, but it also contains more protein than other varieties in Guinea, which supports the nutritional needs of a country where malnutrition is rife. At least 20,000 farmers in Guinea have benefited from NERICA rice since its adoption in the country.

Resilient Sheep and Goats in Kenya

Livestock are a life-changing asset for farmers in Kenya. For small-scale farmers, the death of just one animal can put their livelihoods at risk. Heat stress, disease and parasites are some of the main threats to livestock. Through selective cross-breeding, sheep and goats that can withstand higher temperatures and are more resistant to disease and parasites have been produced.

In Kenya, genetically advantageous Galla goats and Red Maasai sheep have been added to existing herds. Not only are these breeds more resilient, but they also increase household income by supplying more milk and selling for a higher price than their equivalent local breeds. These genetically advantageous breeds have reduced food insecurity by around 90% in Kenya.

High-Yielding Beans in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of Africa’s lowest-income countries. Four million farmers in Ethiopia rely on beans as a source of both food and income. However, limited access to expensive farming resources combined with frequent droughts limits the yield of smaller-scale farmers. Beans are a staple in the region and enhancing their yield can increase food security and provide a route out of poverty for small-scale farmers.

Therefore, genetically superior beans that grow faster and withstand drought have been produced through selective breeding. These varieties have more than tripled the average bean yield per hectare in Ethiopia. Since their rollout, the adoption of these beans has increased the household income for 2.5 million families in Ethiopia.

A Sustainable Route Out of Poverty

Genetic innovations like these are life-changing for small-scale farmers in Africa. Since crops and livestock produce offspring with similarly advantageous genes, the initiatives have a sustained impact and provide a long-term solution to Africa’s poverty crisis. Greater investment into agricultural research and wider-scale implementation of these innovations will be crucial for ending poverty in Africa.

– Catrin Jones

Catrin is based in Cardiff, Wales and focuses on Technology and Solutions and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Papatoetoe Food Hub Fights Food Insecurity in South Auckland

Papatoetoe Food Hub Fights Food Insecurity in South AucklandSouth Auckland, a highly diverse region of New Zealand, is home to numerous Māori communities like mana whenua and Pacific, Asian and European ethnic groups. Each of these groups holds significant food traditions that currently face the risk of increasing food insecurity. Data from the area reveal that one in seven children come from families facing moderate to severe food insecurity, with 30% of Māori children affected. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity in South Auckland, with a local food bank reporting that most of its food parcel recipients were individuals who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Traditional Food Practices

Land ownership, or the lack thereof, has severely affected indigenous communities’ ability to access and cultivate food. This is especially true for Māori communities, where colonization and urbanization have hindered their ability to gather and prepare traditional kai (food). In addition, the respectful use of whenua (land) is central to food cultivation in these communities. However, maintaining these values is becoming more challenging in the context of contemporary food systems. Consequently, the struggle of indigenous communities to engage in environmentally friendly farming practices is a major factor in escalating food insecurity.

The Papatoetoe Food Hub

The Papatoetoe Food Hub set up shop in South Auckland to provide sustainable and affordable meals to the community while embracing traditional values of community and environmental stewardship. A key focus, as reported by the Food Hub, is promoting knowledge exchange on growing, harvesting and maintaining crops. To this end, it conducts on-site lessons about indigenous cooking methods. The hub also prioritizes sustainable food practices aligned with Māori values, rescuing and repurposing 18.6 tons of food between September 2019 and May 2021.

A Community-Led Success Story

The Papatoetoe Food Hub adopts a community-led strategy, working in close collaboration with local schools, universities and government agencies to benefit its local community. Knowledge Auckland conducted interviews with 30 individuals about the hub, seeking to understand its impact. The study revealed the value generated by every dollar spent at the hub:

  • $0.55 goes to the team, comprised of people hired from local communities.
  • $0.38 goes to the local economy, including the purchase of ingredients from local suppliers.
  • $0.07 goes toward government infrastructure.

Julio Bin of the Southern Initiative observed, “The Food Hub is a tangible demonstration of how we can do things differently.” Meanwhile, a local mom emphasized, “They base the menu on what the community wants.” The Papatoetoe Food Hub continues to thrive, attracting an increasing number of patrons and even received endorsement from former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The hub aims to build on this success, with local stakeholder Gael Surgenor noting, “The biggest impact is yet to come.”

Looking Forward

The Papatoetoe Food Hub exemplifies the power of community-driven solutions in combating food insecurity while preserving cultural heritage. Addressing food insecurity in South Auckland, the hub intertwines traditional values with modern sustainable practices. It offers a beacon of hope for diverse communities, showcasing a scalable model for others to follow.

– Kayleigh O’Brien

Kayleigh is based in Leeds, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Child Hunger in Brazil – The Sesc Mesa Programme

Child Hunger in Brazil - The Sesc Mesa ProgrammeThe Guardian reports that child hunger in Brazil is a critical issue. It also notes that the country loses about 26.3 million tonnes of food each year in production and transportation. In addition, Brazilian households discard around 60 kilograms of food per capita annually. This wastage contrasts starkly with the country’s undernourishment issues, as the Food and Agriculture Organization reports that about 7% of Brazilians are undernourished. Hence, redirecting the excess food waste could make it easier for the 10 million Brazilians struggling to feed their families. Brazil’s largest network of Food Banks, Sesc Mesa aims to capitalize on this opportunity.

Sesc Mesa and Its Mission

Sesc Mesa operates more than 95 units nationwide to ensure children in Brazil attend school, nursery or play groups well-nourished. A key depot in Rio de Janeiro serves as a prime example of how organizations like Sesc Mesa address Brazil’s food shortage on a national scale. Covering 400 square feet in Rio’s northern suburbs, the program’s depot recovers unsellable food from supermarkets and collects wonky or otherwise deemed unfit produce from farms, where most of Brazil’s food wastage happens, for supermarkets and restaurants.

Cida Pessoa, program manager for Sesc Mesa in Rio, says, “People want nature to be completely uniform, for carrots to grow in the same way, for papayas to come without spots, for apples to be identical,” leading to vast amounts of perfectly good produce being wasted. This could otherwise help solve Brazil’s undernourishment crisis. After gathering the undesirable produce, Sesc Mesa donates it to soup kitchens, schools, nurseries and other institutions that provide free meals, ensuring daily nourishment for those in need. Due to the program’s success, Sesc Mesa is relocating to a facility 12 times larger. Moreover, this expansion means the potential to feed 12 times more children. With Sesc Mesa feeding 2.1 million people monthly in 2023, the impact of this growth is unmistakable.

Educational Events

Sesc Mesa also organizes educational activities, including courses, classes, seminars and workshops for corporate donors, social institutions and communities. These programs aim to offer information, guidance and training on food hygiene and proper handling. The goal is to maximize the use of foods for preparing safe, healthy and balanced meals for Brazil’s hungry population.

Expanding the Program’s Success

Looking ahead, the efforts to combat child hunger in Brazil by organizations like Sesc Mesa illuminate a path toward a more nourished and prosperous nation. Through its innovative approach to redistributing food waste, it is not only addressing immediate nutritional needs but also fostering a culture of sustainability and care. The potential for international collaboration opens new avenues for expanding its impactful work, moving Brazil closer to eradicating hunger. As Sesc Mesa continues to grow, its model serves as a beacon for other countries grappling with similar issues, showcasing the transformative power of community-driven solutions. Ultimately, the fight against hunger in Brazil is a critical step toward enhancing education, employment and economic vitality in the post-pandemic world.

– Ethan Leyden

Ethan is based in Manchester, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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The Yemen Crisis: The Largest Global Humanitarian Crisis

The Yemen CrisisSince 2015, Yemen has been experiencing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. There is an ongoing civil war which is the cause of the outspread of food insecurity and the economic downfall of Yemen that is currently happening. This has left the people of Yemen with a lack of resources such as food, water and medical assistance. There are currently 23.4 million in need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen. On top of that, the Yemen crisis has led to more than 17.4 million people in Yemen being food insecure and do not have stable access to food and water while an additional 1.6 million are in a state of emergency in terms of hunger.

A Crisis On Children

Due to Yemen experiencing the largest famine in the world, this also means the rate of child malnutrition is high as well. This is one of many serious problems Yemen is facing right now. Estimates have indicated that every 10 minutes, a child in Yemen loses their life because of malnutrition. Around half a million children are experiencing severe starvation with the death toll being 85,000 due to starvation in children. In 2022, predictions indicated that an estimated 450,000 would experience severe malnutrition and possibly die.

Why The Yemen Crisis Matters

Adequate access to resources like food, water and health care is essential to living a healthy life as well as avoiding disease. The people in Yemen have not been able to have adequate access to these essentials for years which is a major problem. Yemen is also the poorest country in the Middle East, making it more difficult for the people there to receive opportunities to live better and healthier lives. They are being affected in all health aspects from being unable to eat or drink enough, to lack of proper medical attention when people are experiencing malnutrition and diseases like malaria and respiratory infections which are very prevalent in Yemen.

UNICEF’s Work

The situation in Yemen calls for an immense amount of support as well as a lot of funding from large stakeholders to help provide aid to the people in Yemen. One effective solution that can help support the people in Yemen is by spreading awareness. UNICEF is a large organization that has helped in assisting Yemen by spreading awareness of the crisis in Yemen and also providing aid. UNICEF’s mission is to provide support to those who are less fortunate.

UNICEF is an organization that helps with global humanitarian problems. It has individuals in the field of medicine and education that are assisting in providing food and education for the children while they have other individuals from UNICEF restabilizing damaged schools and hospitals. While UNICEF has supported Yemen greatly with the aid it was able to provide to
Yemenis there is still more that needs to occur. UNICEF inquires that in order to continue giving its support in Yemen, it need an estimated $484.4 million which it have raised $77.8 million in funding for aid.

Save the Children’s Efforts

Another organization that has supported Yemen is Save the Children. Save the Children is an organization targeted to support children in need. It helps children all around the world with many things like food, education, protection and health. It has been giving support in Yemen to Yemeni children since 1963 and were one of the first organizations to reach out when the war started in 2015.

Looking Ahead

The crisis in Yemen is not a national problem but a global one. They are battling multiple problems. The severity of the crisis Yemenis are experiencing is something that will take years to recover from which means they need all the awareness and support they can get. There is great importance in understanding social determinants of health in public health. This is because the occurrence of many public health issues can be addressed through social determinants of health and can explain why they happen. The heartbreaking state of Yemen is due to the fact they are lacking many of those social determinants and the main forms of support that individuals can give to them is through contacting officials and raising as much awareness as they can.

– Munira Said
Photo: Flickr

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Nkosinathi Sithole and Food Poverty in South Africa

Food Poverty in South AfricaFood poverty, depriving individuals of adequate nutrition, is a pressing issue affecting countless lives. Nkosinathi Sithole, a South African writer from the province of KwaZulu-Natal near Lesotho, sheds light on the harsh realities of food poverty in rural South African communities through his novel “Hunger Eats a Man.” Although a work of fiction, Sithole’s poignant narrative powerfully captures the stark truths of food poverty in South Africa, emphasizing the urgent need for change.

The Novel and Food Poverty in South Africa

The narrative takes place in a rural community in Lesotho. It follows the fictional character, Priest, who loses his job as a farmhand due to poor farming conditions. This situation highlights the widespread problem of food poverty. This scenario underscores the standard explanation of food poverty. Inadequate agricultural conditions in Lesotho make crop cultivation challenging, leading to repercussions like unemployment.

Sithole’s connection to Southern Africa, his birthplace and hometown, enriches the narrative with firsthand insights into food poverty and the urgent need for change. Despite awareness of this issue, the United Nations (U.N.) predicts that an estimated 27.4 million people in the region will face food insecurity in the next six months, indicating the persistent and unresolved nature of the problem for the future.

Evidence for Improvement in Lesotho

Given the significant implications of food poverty in South Africa, it is evident that efforts for increased food security are imperative. Hence, the work of the WFP comes into play. Established in 1961, the organization addresses hunger by offering food and cash assistance to nations grappling with food scarcity. As an international entity, the WFP endeavors to enhance food conditions across various countries and territories. Notably, the charity’s impact is substantial, with 20 million children receiving nutritious meals, snacks and takeaway rations in 2022, underscoring its success in providing food aid on a global scale.

The Future of Food Poverty in Lesotho

The WFP highlights chronic malnutrition as particularly severe among children under 3. This has often resulted in stunted development and potential growth impairment. Dedicated to fostering change and future prosperity, the WFP prioritizes babies, children and young people.

The organization supports the government’s school meal programs and provides food to 60,000 students in schools and Early Years centers. This critical initiative aims to build a brighter future for younger generations. It aims to ensure increased access to food and adequate nutrition.

Just as the poverty-stricken community in Sithole’s novel finds unity and hope, the WFP is committed to reversing food poverty in South Africa. The organization assists hungry communities, improving development, health and stability.

– Amelie Bunce
Photo: Unsplash

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How Mary’s Meals Is Reducing Hunger in Zambia

Mary's MealsZambia, a landlocked nation on a plateau in South-Central Africa, grapples with formidable challenges. Less than 5% of its land is arable, limiting opportunities for agricultural productivity. Consequently, more than one million schoolchildren in Zambia face the harsh reality of attending classes on empty stomachs, depriving a significant portion of the youth population of education.

Zambia continues to struggle with high malnutrition rates, ranking among the world’s highest. Recent reports from 2023 reveal a stark reality. Nearly 48% struggle to meet their daily minimum calorie requirements. At the same time, 35% of children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition. Contributing to these distressing figures are inadequate and unhealthy diets, suboptimal feeding practices and a widespread lack of nutritional knowledge.

In response to this urgent humanitarian crisis, Mary made significant strides in alleviating hunger in Zambia. Mary’s Meals originated as Scottish International Relief (SIR), a charitable organization. When Magnus traveled to Malawi in 2002 during a famine and saw a mother who was dying of AIDS, Edward, her oldest kid, stated succinctly, “I want to have enough food to eat and to go to school one day,” in response to Magnus’ question on his life goals.

That incident inspired the establishment of Mary’s Meals, which started in 2002 by providing food for just 200 children in Malawi. Providing essential school meals addresses immediate nutritional needs and offers a vital lifeline to hungry children. Beyond combating hunger, this initiative opens the doors to education, empowering children with the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Mary’s Meals

The Mary’s Meals initiative took root in 2002, sparked by founder Magnus MacFarlane–Barrow’s eye-opening visit to Malawi during a devastating famine. Witnessing the profound impact of hunger firsthand, he was inspired to kickstart the foundation Mary’s Meals, which is committed to ensuring every kid receives a daily meal at school because of the firm belief that every child deserves access to education and sufficient nutrition. After seeing the critical need in Zambia, the nonprofit organization expanded its purpose in 2014 to address the region’s high malnutrition rates, poverty and food insecurity.

The charity began its journey by providing meals to 200 children in Malawi. Since then, it has expanded its reach exponentially, nourishing 2,429,182 children daily across 18 countries. By nourishing young minds and bodies, these meals empower children to focus on their education, fostering a generation capable of lifting themselves. Furthermore, Mary’s Meals envisions sustainable change, aiming for local communities and governments to increase their contributions progressively, amplifying the program’s impact. Through its commitment to reducing hunger, Mary’s Meals ignites a transformative ripple effect that reverberates throughout entire communities, paving the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for all.

Feeding Children

Mary’s Meals significantly impacts and alleviates hunger in Zambia by providing daily meals to 420,896 children across 752 schools. Central to this effort is the involvement of community volunteers who dedicate themselves to serving these meals, underlining the importance of fostering strong community ties for the sustained success of the school feeding program. Mary’s Meals stands out as the primary provider of school meals across all 10 districts in the Eastern Province, an area characterized by limited income stability and inadequate access to food and social support. According to a survey conducted between 2014 and 2019, children in Zambia who benefited from Mary’s Meals were six times less likely to experience hunger at school than their counterparts who did not receive such assistance.

Research and Results

In Zambia, a recent study revealed that after five years of receiving Mary’s Meals, the proportion of children who never fretted about hunger surged by 45%, underscoring the substantial impact of Mary’s Meals in addressing hunger in the region. This has led to a 25% increase in school enrollment rates and a notable decrease in absenteeism. These findings emphasize Mary’s Meals’ tangible and noteworthy effects on children’s well-being. The study affirms the organization’s efficacy in combating hunger in Zambia and its positive influence on children’s nutritional status, vitality and overall welfare.

– Arabella Wood-Collins
Photo: Flickr

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Feed the Future: Success Stories

Feed the Future: Success Stories in Combatting Food InsecurityFeed the Future, an agency within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) works to tackle food insecurity globally and invest in resilience allowing communities to bounce back from adversity. It prevents them from sliding back into poverty and works to alleviate the need for costly emergency relief when disaster strikes by adequately creating safeguards. Globally Feed the Future has accessed $4 billion in agricultural financing- which has spurned farmers generating $15.3 billion in revenue from their subsequent activities.

In partnering with governments and private entities, which globally have invested $2.2 billion, USAID has implemented policies and practices that have had real-world positive effects and 3 stories reflected from Kenya, Honduras and Nepal show just how these measures are unfolding on the ground. The following are some inspiring success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity that have empowered vulnerable individuals and through USAID measures, been able to create paths of their own on the journey of poverty alleviation.

Kenya: Veronica’s success

USAID is championing the development of entrepreneurship and leading to a culture of self-sufficiency. Feed the Future in conjunction with the Government of Kenya is working to make the market accessible, creating a safe, reliable and more equitable environment where hundreds of small traders can participate and create a self-sustaining livelihood. Veronica was a small business owner and is an example of the numerous success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity.

Furthermore, we see that the economic climate is not conducive to women’s success and the policy restricts women’s empowerment, we see that almost 100% of Kenya’s rural women work on farms but only 6% own titles to the land, restricting income capability and decision-making power.

Veronica, a proprietor in the Oldonyiro market previously expected to sell around one bag of flour every week. But after a $300 loan, to use in business activities, she was able to expand by buying valuable business assets such as a car, enabling her to bring more sellable produce to the market.

Furthermore, USAID installed roofing, to allow workers to work during heat and drought and incorporated drought detection systems to help sellers better manage produce.
Veronica has since been able to expand, selling maize, sugar and beans in addition to flour.
This has been crucial in helping her take care of her family, sending her children to school, feeding them and relieving the pains of poverty.

This is a key focus of the women entering the market. The hope is that women like this can expand their businesses and employ others in the community, thus creating a snowball effect in the mission to fight poverty.

Feed the Future: Nepal

In Nepal, 70% of its population generates income through agriculture, however, Nepal still struggles to produce an adequate, affordable supply of safe, nutritious food, with women and other disadvantaged groups being particularly afflicted. COVID-19’s movement restrictions severely disrupted food systems.

Amidst this unfortunate backdrop, there are indeed success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity. To protect progress and bolster food security, Feed the Future worked closely with Nepali farmers and business owners.

USAID has been working in Nepal to improve its resilience to external shocks and protect the population from exposure to food insecurity. USAID worked on facilitating livestock rearing, ultimately providing an income to rebuild homes. It also set up marketing chains, so that producers could have their foods delivered, this investment in the agriculture sector allowed for a rise in income whilst also maintaining an adequate food supply for the local population.

Honduras: Evelio’s success

Honduras, through a partnership with USAID, was able to establish market chains to establish demand for its small producers globally and worked also to connect them with processors in the next stage of work in the produce domestically. This is working to alleviate some of the challenges small agricultural producers face and to dampen external pressures from factors such as climate and is one of the success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity.

In Honduras, Evelio Miranda, who like other farmers is exposed to economic shocks, through the value of their produce, the price of coffee crashed domestically in 2018, which exposed Evelio and farmers alike to conditions of hardship. This forced individuals to look for work abroad, or a long commute from their home and made more acute the pains of food insecurity.

Through partnerships with the private sector orchestrated by USAID, farmers expanded their crop varieties to include those resilient to environmental shocks. One such collaboration involved EFI Solutions, a cosmetics firm, which supported the cultivation of cardamom by a farmer named Evelio. This initiative not only diversified Evelio’s farming activities but also enhanced the quality of his products and significantly increased his family’s income, showcasing the transformative power of targeted agricultural support.

Feed the Future: Advancing Global Food Security

Feed the Future, backed by USAID’s global efforts, continues to illuminate pathways out of poverty and food insecurity through innovative partnerships and investments in agricultural resilience. Success stories from Kenya, Honduras and Nepal exemplify the transformative impact of empowering local communities with the tools to build sustainable livelihoods. As these initiatives evolve, they hold the promise of fostering more equitable, productive and resilient food systems worldwide, ensuring a brighter future for vulnerable populations.

– Tevin Muendo
Photo: Flickr

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5 Organizations Tackling Food Insecurity In Malaysia

5 Organizations That Tackle Food Insecurity In Malaysia More than 333 million people worldwide faced food insecurity in 2023, according to estimates by the World Food Programme. When it comes to global poverty, food insecurity is one of the most pressing issues. It disproportionately affects women and children, particularly those from low-income nations. The burden of severe food insecurity in Malaysia is 16% and malnutrition is 20.9%.

The most vulnerable communities to the crisis are residents of Kelantan and Sabah, since agriculture is the main driving factor of their economies, the disruption of which exacerbates food insecurity and poverty among the regional population. The pandemic also thrust a lot of Malaysian residents already facing food insecurity even further into the crisis.

5 Organizations Fighting Food Insecurity in Malaysia

Fortunately, several regional and national programs tackle food insecurity in Malaysia. They aim to help alleviate the crisis among low-income families, marginalized communities and during natural disasters. Below is a list of five nonprofits and NGOs that are doing substantial work:

  1. Sincere Charity Association. Established in 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic, the Sincere Charity Association provides financial, nutritional and welfare assistance to Malaysian families in need, single mothers, disabled people, orphans and students. In 2023, it held a New Year charity activity that monetarily helped 100 families. Participants also received free meals.
  2. Rizq-Ar-Rahman. This organization tackles food insecurity in Malaysia by providing weekly home-cooked meals to more than 300 families in need in Kuala Lumpur. It has implemented long-form solutions like installing water tanks in Malaysian villages to provide families with access to clean water.
  3. INSAN. Under its Food Security project, INSAN distributed food baskets to more than 500 people in 2016 and more than 1125 in 2018 in and near Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state. INSAN’s annual Qurbani program, which helps vulnerable Muslim communities in Malaysia by providing Qurbani meat, benefited 2025 people in 2019.
  4. Kechara Soup Kitchen. Since 2008, the Kechara Soup Kitchen has provided meals to 1,324,072 people in urban communities throughout the country. Its food bank program, which gathers surplus food and produce from markets, hotels and businesses and distributes it to those in need, has helped 21,698 families tackle food insecurity in Malaysia.
  5. Food For The Hungry International Malaysia. Launched in 2006, FHI Malaysia focuses on providing food to children in the rural areas of Sabah and conducting community development through agriculture. In September 2022, it converted a wetland along Sabah into a plot to implement a System of Rice Intensification, an ecological strategy meant to increase the productivity of rice and other crops.

Looking Ahead

In the face of mounting food insecurity challenges, Malaysia is witnessing the unwavering dedication of various organizations committed to making a difference. With innovative approaches and grassroots initiatives, these groups are providing essential support to those most vulnerable, from rural communities in Sabah and Kelantan to urban families in Kuala Lumpur.

As these organizations continue to expand their reach and impact, they embody collective resilience, demonstrating that through collaboration and compassion, overcoming food insecurity is within grasp. The road ahead, while challenging, is brightened by the promise of sustained support and community empowerment, guiding Malaysia toward greater food security and prosperity.

– Jay Kosumi
Photo: Unsplash

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Everything You Need To Know about Hunger in Cuba

Hunger in CubaA 2023 Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) report reveals that 78% of Cubans have stopped eating some meals, indicating undeniable hunger in Cuba. With nine in 10 Cubans barely earning “enough to survive,” and 62% struggling to buy essential goods. The Food Monitor Program and community projects address the crisis globally and provide on-the-ground support.

Ration Books to Market Choices

Since the 1962 Cuban Revolution, the government has subsidized a universal monthly food supply, which it distributes through libreta, a ration book. From 2021, more than 11 million Cubans are registered for this vital support.

Over time, the libreta has faced reductions, sustaining 85% of individuals in the OCDH report for 10 days or less. In December 2023, President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed intentions to phase out staples like rice and sugar, redirecting support to the most vulnerable.

Other options include Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) stores, agricultural markets or the black market. In MLC stores, transactions must occur in foreign currency. The aim is to capture remittances from abroad to pay for food imports. However, this practice has widened the disparity between those with access to remittances — either from relatives abroad or through work in the COVID-19-impacted tourism sector — and those solely reliant on local salaries.

Nonetheless, MLC stores face shortages. The majority turn to the competitively priced black market, usually associated with illegal activity. In Cuba, this is where street vendors address the gaps in food and other household goods.

The Economic Impact

“The Special Period” economic crisis followed the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, a significant supporter of Cuba. Historically, Cuba’s agricultural sector relied on large-scale monocultures, for the exports of sugar, tobacco, citrus and coffee. The Soviet Union supported Cuba by purchasing a share of its sugar and importing 63% of its food. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, an economic downturn resulted in drastic reductions in state-subsidized rations and triggered widespread hunger in Cuba.

To address this, Cuba imported rice from Vietnam and sold sugar to China. Subsequently, Cuba became heavily reliant on imports, constituting between 70% and 80% of its food supply in 2024, with minimal efforts to boost domestic production.

In 2024, the economy is in a decline reminiscent of the suffering, scarcity and hunger in Cuba during The Special Period. Sugar cane production in Cuba dropped from 816,000 tons in 2020-21 to 480,000 tons in 2021-22, with an overall 35% decrease between 2019 and 2023.

As of October 2023, food imports decreased to $1.6 billion. The current scenario reveals vulnerabilities in Cuba’s food security, as political relations and heavy reliance on food imports, including those for animals, expose the entire system to geopolitical challenges. Cuba is not producing or importing.

Substitutions, Shortages and Shifts in Daily Diet

The Food Monitor Program provides an analysis of the quality and availability of essential items in the Cuban diet, offering insight into the current culinary landscape of May-June 2023.

The government usually prioritizes milk for vulnerable groups, but it was recently removed from the libreta and replaced with concentrated milk powder. The increased price of beans has led households to consider excluding this vital protein. Coffee, integral to Cuban identity, has experienced setbacks in production. Rice, typically consumed in two meals a day and featured in various Cuban dishes, is experiencing shortages.

Many beloved food items in the daily Cuban diet have been substituted with cheaper but less nutritious alternatives. Sometimes, bread is used as a substitute for rice during lunch and dinner. However, the product has undergone substitutions with unpopular alternative flour like corn, pumpkin and sweet potato, according to the Food Monitor Program. Eggs, valued for versatility, affordability and availability, offer a protein alternative to meat but have become as inaccessible as pork or fish. The short supply of sunflower oil and other fats has impacted the ability to cook.

Resilience Amid Shortages

In response to the crises, individual and community-based mutual aid initiatives like the Quisicuaba project, a community-led soup kitchen in central Havana registered in 1992, are feeding the hungry. With the support of on-island cultural and community groups, foreign donations and private gifts, Quisicuaba Cabildo served breakfast, lunch and dinner daily to 4,000 people in January 2024.

The group’s leader emphasizes inclusivity: “We feed anyone who arrives … there are no conditions. We don’t ask how much they make, and we charge nothing,” Reuters reports. The project also provides a delivery service to those who cannot reach the kitchen.

Numerous smaller-scale projects and individual acts of aid have sprouted across the country. The Breath Of Life Humanitarian Project delivered Christmas dinners to 44 homeless individuals in Havana in 2023. Similarly, comedian Limay Blanco generously offered dinner to more than 300 people. In Guanabo, a bar owner organized a New Year’s Eve dinner for 180 low-income elderly and children.

These actions showcase the resilience and determination of Cuban communities in the face of food shortages. Acknowledging the vital need for global support in tackling hunger in Cuba, the demonstrated adaptability, solidarity, and resilience among Cubans offer compelling examples of collaborative assistance for shaping a more sustainable and food-secure future.

– Ben Miley-Smith
Photo: Flickr