Archive for category: Hunger

10 Eye-Opening Facts About Hunger in Nigeria

NigeriaNigeria is one of many food-deficient countries in Africa, and its alarming hunger statistics are tied with high levels of conflict that have plagued the region surrounding Nigeria for years. A food crisis such as Nigeria’s causes distressing levels of stunting in children and is correlated with high rates of poverty. The following are the top 10 facts about hunger in Nigeria.

10 Eye-Opening Facts About Hunger in Nigeria

  1. One-third of children under five are stunted. This statistic is particularly concerning because it is twice the rate of Thailand and three times the rate of Tunisia. Stunting in children is a common symptom of undernourishment and can only be alleviated with a steady supply of adequate food.
  2. The insurgency in the country has led to a large number of displaced people without access to food. The reign of the extremist group, Boko Haram, has left 8.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Nigeria.
  3. On top of the rates of displacement, 5.1 million Nigerians are malnourished. Being on the move makes food sources even less reliable. Countries with high rates of political conflict typically have hunger issues that coincide.
  4. The amount of food insecure households is highest in the rural region of Borno in Nigeria. In Borno State, 64.2 percent of households are food insecure. In late July of 2017, the government of Nigeria declared a state of food and nutrition emergency in Borno.
  5. In the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe there were 400,000 children under 5 at risk of severe acute malnutrition in 2016. Approximately 244,000 of these cases are in Borno alone. Food insecurity especially affects children as they are dependent on nourishment for growth and development.
  6. Action Against Hunger (AAH) is active in Nigeria and has completed an assessment of risk levels in the state of Borno. AAH found levels of global acute malnutrition at 28 percent and severe malnutrition at 8 percent in Borno. These levels are especially alarming because both are almost double the international emergency threshold.
  7. Households headed by females are more inclined to have high rates of food insecurity. In the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, 55 percent of female-headed households are food insecure. Women in low-income countries often have less opportunity to gain employment that would allow them to feed their families, leading to increased levels of food deficiency.
  8. Action Against Hunger has provided clinics to aid with hunger in Nigeria. These clinics provide assistance for malnourished children, nursing mothers and pregnant women. Establishments like these save countless lives every year.
  9. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been active in fighting hunger in Nigeria. In 2017, the ICRC reached over 1 million Nigerians and provided relief and livelihood training and assistance. They also provided 450,000 people in the north-east and Middle Belt regions with food for three months.
  10. Of the 17 million people living in regions affected by Boko Haram, 11 million are in need of humanitarian aid, food, water and shelter. These numbers delineate the effects of political strife on low-income countries. Dangerous and unreliable living conditions are not conducive to access to an adequate food supply.

Fighting Food Insecurity

Levels of hunger in Nigeria are alarming, but the work of organizations like AAF and ICRC have been able to begin the fight against food insecurity. Without the aid of humanitarian workers, a higher number of lives would be lost each year to malnourishment and hunger.

– Amelia Merchant

Photo: Flickr

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Top 10 Hunger Nonprofits

Top 10 hunger nonprofitsAccording to the World Food Programme, some 815 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy and active life, with a vast majority of the world’s hungry people living in developing countries. With many governments struggling to provide aid to their citizens and a calculated $3.2 billion needed per year to start reaching children across the world, many individuals have banded together to bring about change on their own. These top 10 hunger nonprofits have started making a change in the world in the hopes of ending world hunger once and for all.

List of Top 10 Hunger Nonprofits

  1. A Growing Culture: This organization works to boost farmer independence by providing them with the means to adapt to change. It also helps farmers in having a say in the system, something that they currently lack because of industrial farming. A Growing Culture has been working on creating a farmer networking program to connect agriculture enthusiasts from around the world to boost innovative ideas and creating a lasting food system for all.
  2. Bioversity International: This research nonprofit works on saving agricultural and tree biodiversity in order to improve nutrition security as well as to fight climate change. The Bioversity International is a part of an international food security research partnership and works with low-income countries to work on food management practices and new policies to protect biodiversity within their nation.
  3. Community Alliance with Family Farmers: This organization focuses on farming and food systems through many grassroots programs. It tackles current challenges to the food system and supports family farmers and those who live in low-income populations. As an organization, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers tries its best to uphold sustainability within food and farming systems.
  4. Agricultural Biodiversity Community: Made up of more than 100 individuals and organizations, the Agricultural Biodiversity Community shares the idea that agricultural biodiversity can save the world. By utilizing conservation techniques and the development of food security in many regions, this organization seeks to enhance food security on a global scale.
  5. Green Shoots Foundation: Based in six different countries in Asia, the Green Shoots Foundation aims to improve healthcare and education through a program called the Food and Agriculture and Social Entrepreneurship program. These programs combine agriculture, peer education and community building to help communities in Asia create a better future for all.
  6. Groundswell International: As one of the top 10 hunger nonprofits, Groundswell International is unique in that it is a global partnership consisting of multiple nonprofits, local organizations and communities that all work to combat food insecurity. It also works to improve and start healthy food systems in many low-income countries and teaches new farming techniques to help improve community health.
  7. Heifer International: This global nonprofit aims to erase poverty through community development. It helps train families in sustainable food practices and its goal is to increase self-reliance among families. From teaching environmentally friendly farming techniques to helping families improve their lives, Heifer International is an effective organization.
  8. IFOAM Organics International: At the center of the organic movement worldwide is the IFOAM organization. IFOAM’s goal is to improve transparency with organic standards and balance local adaption and food diversity. Operating in over 100 countries worldwide, IFOAM is a force to be reckoned with.
  9. INGA Foundation: The Inga alley cropping is an alternative to the slash and burn agriculture practice that the INGA Foundation teaches to farmers and communities globally. This practice restores degraded land and protects rainforests from destruction. Soil fertility is retained and trees also benefit from this method of agriculture.
  10. Kiss the Ground: With the mission statement “We can do this!”, Kiss the Ground tries to balance climate using technology and science and its goal is to recreate the food system. Every initiative this organization starts is based on a message of a hopeful future.

The top 10 hunger nonprofits all have a similar goal: to end world hunger. Stopping world hunger isn’t easy but these organizations have taken on the challenge and work tirelessly for a better future. We need more individuals and organizations to do the same.

– Michael Huang
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Hunger in Bangladesh

10 Facts About Hunger In BangladeshBangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries; as home to over 160 million people in an area the size of Illinois. Since the country first garnered international attention, it has made great progress in human development, namely in the areas of literacy and life expectancy. But economic inequality has increased and approximately 32 percent, i.e. 50 million people still live in extreme poverty.

Compounded by inadequate arable land and recurrent natural disasters, Bangladesh has struggled immensely with food insecurity. Despite tripling its rice production, decreasing infant mortality rates, and programs combating malnutrition, 60 million people are still hungry even today. 

List of Top 10 Facts About Hunger in Bangladesh

  1. Bangladesh has the highest rate of underweight children in South Asia. One in two children below 5 years are chronically undernourished or stunted, and 14 percent suffer from acute undernutrition or wasting. WHO estimates that two in three deaths under the age of five are caused by undernutrition.
  2. Out of the 50 million people who lack food security in Bangladesh, less than half have access to food safety net programs. Food programs have a successful impact, however, poor coverage, targeting and administration have impacted effectiveness.
  3. Food insecurity and malnutrition among the vulnerable populations are high. These are further impacted by seasonality and the price of available foods. The two lean seasons in Bangladesh worsen food insecurity, reduce food availability as well as employment opportunities particularly for the rural poor.
  4. Food insecurity in Bangladesh stems from extreme poverty due to underemployment and unemployment, inadequate land access for cultivation, social exclusion and natural disasters. In these vulnerable, poor populations, women and children are most affected by malnutrition and undernutrition.
  5. Approximately 24 percent of women are underweight and 13 percent are short in stature, significantly increasing the likelihood that their children will be stunted.
  6. About 25 percent of children’s diets meet dietary variety standards where a minimum of four out of seven food groups are consumed on a daily basis.
  7. Sacrifices in food consumption for the sake of feeding children, particularly in times of scarcity, is highly gender biased. In most cases, it is an adult woman who must make a sacrifice. Disproportionate poverty faced by women and children comes as a result of discrimination and traditions of exclusion, thereby leaving them the most vulnerable.
  8. In wealthy households, 26 percent of children below 5 years are stunted and 12 percent are wasted. Undernutrition then is not just a symptom of poverty. Poverty has declined remarkably since the year 2010, dropping from 49 percent to roughly 25 percent in 2016. Yet hunger still persists.
  9. Micronutrient deficiencies lead to ‘hidden hunger’. Of note, 50 percent of the salt produced in Bangladesh is not adequately iodized, rice dominates the diet and its low nutrient density likely contributes to the high rates of zinc deficiency.
  10. Environmental disasters if ignored could increase food insecurity. In addition to natural disasters that flood farms and cause rural unemployment, the lack of education and training in sustainable agricultural methods have caused soil degradation that impacts rice production.

Since the year 2000, hunger has been cut by nearly half in Bangladesh. Experts site economic growth, improved agricultural productivity, access to markets for farmers and social safety nets for the most vulnerable as ways to end hunger. Bangladesh’s success in these areas, especially rice production, has helped cut hunger in half.

Yet these 10 facts about hunger in Bangladesh illustrate how several key challenges still remain as millions continue to battle undernutrition, transient food insecurity and hidden hunger every single day.

– Joseph Ventura
Photo: Flickr

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Uncovering 10 Facts About Hunger in Cuba

Top Ten Facts About Hunger in Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is home to nearly 11.5 million people and has lasted through a communist regime for more than 50 years. U.S. sanctions were designed to dislodge the leader, Fidel Castro, and his regime; surprisingly, the island of Cuba has survived long after the collapse of its biggest supporter, the Soviet Union.

During the last 50 years, the government of Cuba has worked to eliminate poverty and hunger; however, many analysts argue that the economic system envisioned by Fidel Castro has not lived up to its plans. The Revolution was centered around the idea of eliminating a class structure, yet, the country has been left poor.

Nevertheless, the government of Cuba has continued its support of Castro’s ideology and is now working to eradicate issues such as hunger. To learn more about the country’s shortcomings and successes, here are the top 10 facts about hunger in Cuba.

Facts About Hunger in Cuba

  1. Social protection programs implemented within the last 50 years have greatly helped Cuba reduce hunger. The government of Cuba provides monthly food baskets, mother-and-child health care and school feeding programs. These programs are reliant on food imports and are dependent on the national budget.
  2. Guided by the government’s commitment to leave no Cuban unprotected, the leadership of Cuba reformed its economic model. This process began in 2011 and had the goals to reduce costs, increase the viability of social programs and boost overall efficiency. Food scarcity was recognized as one of the nation’s top priorities.
  3. In 2015, about 3.5 million people visited Cuba, causing a surge in the demand for food. Food scarcity was in part due to the U.S. embargo, as well as poor planning by the Cuban government. The foods that many families relied on went instead to restaurants that catered to the increase in tourism. The prices of essential food have risen exuberantly, leaving the average Cuban at a big loss.
  4. The typical Cuban family has poor nutrition as there is often very little food diversity, and Cubans traditionally eat very few vegetables. In 2011, the government began its attempts to implement its National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Anemia. Children under the age of five are specifically targeted in this effort; however, by the end of 2015, it was reported that 31.6 percent of children aged two, and as many as 39.6 percent of children six months or younger, suffer from anemia.
  5. There are still periods of food shortage in Cuba. Maria Julia, a single mother from Santiago de Cuba, described the food shortages that occurred in December 2014 and January 2015. She and countless other Cuban families had no access to chicken — the main protein in Cuban cuisine. Schools could not provide lunch or snacks for the children during these periods, further challenging struggling parents.
  6. The Cuban government covers half of an individual’s nutritional needs at a very low cost. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recently honored Cuba for its low levels of malnutrition and hunger. Although unable to provide an average Cuban with all their nutritional needs, the government has managed to provide supplements and extra rationed items for the elderly, children and those suffering from chronic illnesses.
  7. Food scarcity has caused families to struggle to create main meals; often by the end of the month, most Cuban families have usually already eaten their ration. This results in difficulty finding sustainable meals, and families tend to rely on social networks to acquire their essential food items.
  8. In dealing with food scarcity, Cubans had to adapt to different food than their traditional preferences. Many refuse to accept available food as viable, yet, they continue to consume the food out of necessity. The food available through the government does not reach cultural standards, so the Cuban people’s disdain is a sort of symbolic rejection.
  9. Nitza Villapol, one of the main Cuban food authorities, has encouraged the change in the traditional Cuban diet through cookbooks aimed at the average Cuban. The cookbooks and state-approved television shows teach Cubans to cook without staple foods. Food scarcity made traditional ingredients like pork, milk, butter and bread extremely difficult to attain.
  10. After the crash of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuba’s sugar economy plummeted for nearly a decade. The government ordered the shutdown of 71 out of 156 sugar refineries in Cuba. Farming land that was once used for sugar is now used to supplement the monthly rations given by the state. Farmers generate cooperatives so that locals can survive off state-sponsored food in conjunction with local farming.

Independence and Eliminating Hunger

Currently, the small island of Cuba imports 60-80 percent of its food. State officials are encouraging the continuation of cooperative farming to avoid dependency on other nations. Additionally, urban farming started in the 1990s and is regarded by the government as an acceptable mean to supplement the monthly rations.

The island of Cuba is working very hard to eliminate hunger. These top ten facts about hunger in Cuba demonstrate both the areas in which the goals of the regime have fallen short, as well as the successes of Castro’s vision.

– Stefanie Babb
Photo: Unsplash

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Fighting Hunger in India

Fighting Hunger in India
In the week of June 22, 2018, three girls died in Delhi’s Mandawali area due to starvation. The eldest of the three was only 8 years old. Starvation and malnutrition in India have been an underlying epidemic for some time, and last month’s incident only goes to highlight the severity of the country’s problem. Fighting hunger in India is crucial for its development.

Facts About Hunger in India

India has the fastest growing economy in the world and has all the signs of a country under major improvements in the economy, produce and material production, healthcare and an increase in wealth. Despite this, poverty and hunger in India are very high, and often ignored.

The country has a staggeringly large population at 1.3 billion people. But out of that, 190.7 million people are undernourished—meaning that over 14.5 percent of India’s whole population is suffering from hunger. In fact, 3,000 children throughout India die of malnutrition every day. Action Against Hunger, a nonprofit working to end world hunger, calculated that one-fourth of the entire world’s population of undernourished people live in India.

Poverty and Fighting Hunger in India

Fighting hunger in India is necessary due to poverty, the rapid growth of population, exhausted governance, inadequate health systems and unreliable national indicators.

Though the country has seen a major economic progress, the poorest areas of India are comparable to the environments of some of the poorest countries around the world. Those in the more impoverished states of India, such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, see 20-35 percent of children suffer from severe undernutrition. Moreover, according to India’s 2011 government data, 65 million people live in areas that lack basic facilities, which puts them under the risk of various diseases alongside hunger, which is often life-threatening.

India has, in the last decade, seen a significant increase—almost twice—in its produce and grain production. In fact, India produces a sufficient amount of food for its population but is unable to distribute and provide access to the food for most of its population, mainly women and children. This is why one out of four children in India will experience hunger which often results in malnutrition. Moreover, this insufficiency perpetuates poverty and does little—next to nothing—to rid the country of an endless cycle of poor growth and premature deaths. These premature deaths, like the three young girls who made the headlines in the summer of 2018, bring to light the severity of and the necessity for fighting hunger in India.

The Way Forward

There are a series of organizations and nonprofits who have focused their efforts on India’s most solvable issue. For instance, Action Against Hunger has been instrumental in saving lives in India in the past decade by taking a hands-on, direct approach. This organization has implemented nutrition programs, worked on health systems in India with various government officials and has even worked with healthcare providers in recognizing and subsequently treating the signs of malnutrition. All of their efforts have been in India’s most impoverished areas, in hopes that wealthier states take note.

Improvements have been seen and the continued efforts to fight hunger in India has resulted in lower hunger rates since 1990. There is still a very long way to go. It remains to be seen in the coming years how successful nonprofits will be in fighting hunger in India.

– Isabella Agostini
Photo: Pixabay

Top 10 Facts about Poverty in France

France
France may be known as a fabulous tourist destination that attracts around 89 million tourists per year, but many people who vacation there turn a blind eye to the 14.1 percent of the population (nearly 9 million people) that live below the poverty line. Here are the top 10 facts about poverty in France:

10 Facts About Poverty in France

  1. The definition of poverty in France follows that of the European Union. The poverty line in Europe is “60 percent of the populations median income” and is based on living conditions and employment levels. This means that more than 8 million people in France live on less than 954 euros a month.
  2. There is a considerable gap between the rich and the poor in France. The bottom 20 percent of the population earn almost five times less than the top 20 percent. This inequality is more obvious in the French city of Paris. Even though the overall poverty rate in the city of Paris is 14 percent, which is close to the national average, when you look at the underprivileged neighborhoods, the rate jumps to nearly 40 percent.
  3. In 2004, the poverty rate in France was at its lowest at 12.6 percent. However, that number has gone up. In 2015, 14.2 percent of the French population was living below the poverty line.
  4. France’s most vulnerable groups are among the most impoverished. According to a report published by the charity Secours Catholique, single women, children and foreigners are at the greatest risk of being impoverished. In 2016, Secours Catholique passed a comprehensive nine-year National Plan to address the issue of poverty in France with a focus on the higher risk population.
  5. There are several misconceptions about poverty in France. Seven out of 10 people in France believe it is easy to receive welfare. In actuality, of those who apply for unemployment, around 68 percent of those eligible for benefits will not receive them. Furthermore, up to 100 documents can be required in the application process.
  6. France is known to work to protect the rights of its citizens. It puts aside over one-third of its GDP to providing welfare protection. This is more than any other country in Europe.
  7. A new French law will require retailers to donate their unsold clothes to charity. Last February, a photo posted to Facebook showing a French clothing store destroying many unsold clothing items. This caused a great backlash from the public with many people commenting on how wasteful this was and that these clothes could benefit those in France who cannot afford to clothe themselves or their families. A French organization, Emmaus, which focuses on ending homelessness and poverty, worked with French officials to find a solution. French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, has introduced a law to take effect in 2019 that would ban retailers from throwing away unsold clothing and require the retailers to donate them to charity instead.
  8. France is home to many poverty-fighting organizations. The Restos du Coeur is one of the largest French organizations that helps with poverty alleviation. Their volunteers distribute thousands of hot meals every day. In fact, in 2015, 128.5 million meals were given out throughout France. Another organization, SOS Children’s Villages, is an international organization that has been very active in France. Parents who cannot take care of their children can seek the help of SOS Children’s Villages to offer support systems within the community to help provide a stable environment for the children in an effort to keep families together.  There are two SOS Social Centres in France, one in the north of France and one near Paris.
  9. French supermarkets must give away their unsold, expired food. Food waste is a global problem. After a unanimous vote by French Members of Parliament in 2015, supermarkets must now give away unsold food that has reached its sell-by date and are banned from destroying older food products. These unsold food products go to associations that collect and distribute the food to those in need. About 5,000 charities receive the unsold food throughout France. This law helps save up to 66 pounds of food per person every year.
  10. The 2018 World Cup brought hope to impoverished, immigrant, suburban French youth. Nineteen-year-old Kylian Mbappe is one of the newest stars on the French Soccer Team. Mbappe, and many other French teammates, are from mainly non-white suburbs that surround major cities in France. Mbappe is from Bondy, which is less than ten miles away from Paris, yet seems almost like a different world. The mayor of Bondy says that Mbappe’s success is “marvelous because so often people talk about suburbs in negative terms.” Other French soccer players are from suburban areas as well, like midfielder Paul Pogba, from the Lagny-Sur-Marne in the eastern suburbs of Paris.

These 10 facts about poverty in France shed light on the growing poverty problem in a place that seems as perfect as a postcard. Even first-world countries, including France, The United States, and Japan, can have poverty issues that the media does not focus on. However, with the work of the governments, charity organizations and the community, there is hope to alleviate poverty.

– Ariane Komyati

Photo: Flickr

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How to End Hunger

Saharan African
Between 2015 and 2016, world hunger rose by 20 million people, according to most recent estimates released in a 2016 U.N. report. This issue affects 815 million people worldwide. The single biggest cause of hunger is poverty, but there are also other heavily contributed factors. Since the turn of the century, food production has outpaced population growth, and the world now produces enough food to feed 1.5x the global population. The question of how to end hunger stretches beyond simply farming more effectively. To end hunger, we have to address the issue as more than a supply-demand deficiency.

Poverty

Only 11 percent of world hunger comes from developed countries; by far, the regions most afflicted by hunger are middle- and lower-income. In 2016, 22.7 percent of Sub-Saharan Africans were reported as malnourished. For those living on less than $2 per day, food can be too expensive to maintain a healthy diet. Economic hardship is further expounded by a lack of education and inadequate access to basic needs such as food, potable water and shelter. In this context, poverty and hunger have a cyclical nature. To reduce poverty, you have to reduce hunger and to reduce hunger, you have to reduce poverty. Take a look here to see how the Borgen Project plans to end poverty.

Armed Conflicts and Political Instability

Poverty is not the only factor in global hunger. Armed conflicts and political instability play a major role in keeping food out of hungry mouths. In recent years, conflicts have been rising, which may correspond to the increase of worldwide malnourished people.

War has also increasingly occurred in regions already vulnerable to disease and malnourishment, such as sub-Saharan and Eastern Africa. For example, South Sudan has been the site of a civil war since 2013. In 2017, the fighting played a major role in South Sudan undergoing the first declared famine in six years. Six million people (one in three residents of South Sudan) have been declared severely food insecure.

Violence takes away human capital, removing productive people from countries that need this capital the most. War destroys infrastructure, disrupts children’s schooling and creates more refugees. Peace is no easy task, but it’s a necessary one to achieve food security for all.

Steps Toward Ending World Hunger

The search for how to end hunger continues, despite the recent setbacks. Humanitarian organizations, such as Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) have worked hard to fight hunger and alleviate the problems associated with it. CARE works in 94 countries and impacts 80 million people worldwide.

Other organizations have developed more atypical answers of how to end hunger. Freedom From Hunger, a charitable organization dedicated to ending world hunger through economic empowerment, has instituted savings and micro-financing programs to people at risk of food insecurity. The goal of these programs is to help people plan for the future and pull themselves out of poverty through education, financial services and monetary savings.

The road to ending hunger will be long and hard. There will be more setbacks, but at the end of the day, it’s up to the world to pave a better future.

– Peter Buffo
Photo: Flickr

Top Ten Facts About Hunger in Armenia

Armenia

In Armenia, hunger has been a problem faced by its citizens since the country gained independence in 1991. However, through steady economic growth and the implementation of strategies from global agencies, the country’s hunger issue has been slowly reducing. Here are the top ten facts about hunger in Armenia:

  1. Hunger is closely related to poverty, as people that live under the poverty line tend to be the most food insecure. As of 2015, six percent of the Armenian population was undernourished. Hunger in Armenia tends to rise and fall as a result of the country’s economic stability. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, food insecurity in the country has almost doubled, as an estimated 16 percent of families were classified as food insecure in 2015.

  2. Armenia is a low to middle income, landlocked country that relies on imports for most food. Because of this, the country and its citizens are reliant on other countries for stability. When surrounding countries are in financial downturn, it takes a negative effect on Armenians as well. The country has had slow economic development since 1991 when borders with neighboring countries Turkey and Azerbaijan were established post-Armenian independence. Due in large to its slow economic growth, 29.4 percent of Armenians lived in poverty as of 2016.

  3. In Armenia, the effect of hunger is visible in two main ways: stunted growth and being overweight. Approximately 9 percent of Armenian children under five have had their growth stunted while 14 percent were overweight as of 2015. To some, it may be surprising that people can be overweight while still food insecure, but it is more common than one might think. Because many people who are food insecure are also impoverished, they tend to purchase food based on quantity over quality. This results in the intake of less-nutritious foods in low-income areas. In countries like Armenia, it has resulted in many of its poorer citizens becoming overweight.

  4. Armenia has reduced the country’s poverty rate from 54 percent in 1998 to 28 percent in 2008. After a brief rise and stagnation in the poverty rate, at approximately 32 percent after the global economic crises, the country’s poverty rate has again begun to fall.

  5. Organizations like the World Economic Forum and the World Bank are considering ways to reanalyze the causes behind Armenia’s hunger problems. More reasons for hunger, like education, health and labor, are being examined in addition to poverty.

  6. As Armenia’s hunger problem is examined from various perspectives, new solutions are being presented to combat the country’s food insecurity.

  7. One solution from the National Strategic Review of Food Safety and Nutrition is to apply healthcare, social protections and regional policies in order to reduce the disparities in hunger and malnutrition throughout Armenia. These policies will target hunger and food insecurity with strategies not traditionally used in the country.

  8. An additional solution is to raise public awareness about healthy nutrition and how to make better decisions about food choices. These public awareness and education campaigns would take place in remote communities where food education is not prevalent, giving way to unhealthy choices. The education campaign will also serve as a preventative measure against malnutrition and undernourishment by focusing on sustainable food choices.

  9. The solution to hunger and food insecurity in Armenia may be in the revision of policy that would protect the most underserved people. Part of this solution will include commencing vouchers to the unemployed, social assistance programs to children 3-5 years of age, as well as monetary and non-monetary plans to ensure nutritious food intake to beneficiary families of assistance programs.

  10. Armenia is a country still growing and recovering from many outside factors that have hindered the young country’s development. However, with newly proposed sustainable solutions and the promise of continued economic security, the country is beginning to address its hunger and food insecurity problem.

Armenia’s hunger problem is a complex and multi-causal issue. However, through steady advancement and changes to its economy and food programs, solutions are possible. These strategies are only a few of many to relieve hunger in the country. These top ten facts about hunger in Armenia are a brief way to understand a longstanding problem.

– Savannah Hawley

Photo: Flickr

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What Exactly is Hunger?

what is hunger
Hunger is an easy enough concept to imagine. Most people in the world have experienced it at some level or maybe even gone an entire day without food. But what is hunger at a global level? When starvation and malnutrition are discussed, there is a major gap between the conception of hunger and how those without access to food experience it. In the end, hunger is a systemic problem in people’s lives; those who suffer from it are unable to consistently achieve proper nutrition and face food insecurity.

Facts and Figures

Hunger still affects more than 800 million world citizens. This number reflects about one in every nine people worldwide. Starvation and malnutrition are most common in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population suffers from undernourishment. The continent of Asia contains the highest number of hungry people, while Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of malnutrition – one person in every four faces undernourishment. 

Famine: Extreme Hunger

The most extreme cases of hunger on a public scale are famines, where an excess of deaths occurs as a result of starvation or hunger-induced diseases. These diseases are often preventable with a proper diet, but although there is an excess of food worldwide, starvation and malnutrition originate in that food being inaccessible. Lack of access is often caused by a insufficient funding and war within an area, as seen in the South Sudan famine declared by the U.N. in February of 2017.

In daily life for undernourished people, hunger takes the form of reduced meals. In 2011, a drought in a Kenyan herding community caused sickly animals. As a result of not being able to afford enough to eat, one woman’s family was forced to cut back to just one or two meals per day as opposed to three. They also could no longer afford “luxuries” like milk. Even with access to water, there is no money to buy food if crops and animals cannot produce. 

The Costs of Hunger

New research shows that generations down the line will also be impacted by the costs of starvation. While it is well-known that young children are often the most vulnerable to malnutrition, Columbia University’s 2014 study of genes in roundworms after an initial starved generation found that small changes in an organism’s molecular makeup due to its health can be passed on. This means that even after hunger has been reduced, future generations may still see its effects in their own lives.

Combating Hunger

Fortunately, famine and malnutrition rates have decreased. The Global Goals of Sustainable Development include ending starvation and creating food security and sustainable farming as its number two goal, set to be achieved by 2030. The best strategies for ending hunger are supporting small farmers, targeting infant nutrition and utilizing biotechnology in crop creation.

Additionally, legislative action in the United States Congress is working toward alleviating starvation worldwide. The Food for Peace Modernization currently seeks to make the Food for Peace program more efficient – at no cost to taxpayers – so that it can provide food to nearly nine million more people. Understanding what hunger is can create measures like this worldwide and offer new chances for those suffering from hunger to find relief.

– Grace Gay
Photo: Flickr

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Key Organizations Fighting World Hunger

World Hunger
Over 815 million people suffer from hunger worldwide. The majority of these millions plagued by hunger come from lower income countries. Hunger and poverty are inextricably linked together in a cycle, poverty causing hunger through a lack of sufficient means, and hunger causing poverty due to high food prices and malnourishment, which affects performance in schools and in the workplace. Thus, in order to address hunger at any level, poverty must also be considered. There are a number of key organizations fighting world hunger as well as looking into its underlying factors.

Underlying Factors in World Hunger

In addition to stemming from poverty, world hunger can be the result of conflicts, climate change and economic and political issues that are seemingly unrelated. Long-term conflicts can interfere with food and agriculture production and also make humanitarian assistance very difficult. A poor economy can drive up prices, making food insecurity and hunger more prevalent. Natural disasters can decimate countries, leading to severe, temporary hunger; for example, El Nino is said to have been responsible for hunger in 20 million cases. Global climate change has also affected crop production as flooding or drought can destroy crops, which can lead to food insecurity.

In 2016, it was estimated that 10.7 percent of the world’s population faced chronic undernourishment.  This can lead to long-lasting physical and mental health impairments. Hungry people are 2.9 times more likely to have health issues. Over 3 million children die per year as a result of a hunger-induced illness such as stunting, vitamin deficiencies, and growth restriction (for babies and fetuses). There are also many diseases that can lead to death in which hunger is an underlying condition, and malnutrition magnifies the effects of all diseases including measles and malaria. Hunger can also exacerbate mental health issues; children who are hungry are four times more likely to need professional counseling.

Key Organizations Fighting World Hunger

In order to fight world hunger, there must be more education that inspires understanding and leads to action. A multitude of organizations exists to assist those experiencing food insecurity. The most influential organizations are those that address root issues rather than just addressing band-aid issues.

  1. Bread for the World addresses world hunger by lobbying world leaders to attack underlying causes, preaching that “we need to do more than just giving people a meal a day.”
  2. Results is another group that also uses education and lobbying as a tool to end world hunger through highly-trained advocacy volunteers.
  3. The Food Research and Action Center is a hub for an anti-hunger network of individuals and agencies seeking to improve public policies surrounding hunger and malnutrition in the U.S.
  4. Action Against Hunger eliminates hunger through detection and prevention measures as well as provides aid in treating malnutrition.
  5. The Hunger Project is committed to sustainable ways to end world hunger, empowering people to be self-reliant in the long run.
  6. Heifer International donates livestock to create long-term agricultural solutions and provide training in farming techniques.

These are but a few of the innovative organizations dedicated to helping the world’s hungry. The U.S., for example, assists in hunger reduction by providing emergency food aid, supporting long-term developmental agriculture programs and assisting with organizations in trying to achieve global food security.

In order to help reduce world hunger, it is important to support research and policy and give to dynamic organizations. When looking at where to donate, keep in mind creative initiatives, the desire to address the root causes of hunger and programs that promote self-sufficiency and sustainability in the long term.

– Jessie Serody
Photo: Flickr