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Hunger in The Bahamas: Everything You Need To Know

Hunger in the BahamasPicture The Bahamas and its beautiful sunshine coupled with exotic beaches. Listen to its unique music while embracing the culture of the island. The country feels and operates similarly to the United States (U.S.), even officially adopting the language and dollar, and offers everything a tourist could want on a tropical getaway. However, weaved among the festivities and similarities is an ongoing issue affecting nearly 13% of The Bahamas and those native to or living along the archipelago. Here is everything you need to know about hunger in The Bahamas.

The Facts

Surprising. The Bahamas is a country that is currently unable to produce enough food for its residents and relies heavily on imports. One out of every 10 Bahamians lives below the poverty line and experiences severe food insecurity. Many accessible foods are less healthy choices and often lead to early signs of hypertension and high blood pressure. A dozen eggs cost $7.50 on average. Meanwhile, residents who fall below the poverty line have less than $4 per day to spend on food. Agriculture lends no mercy to hunger in The Bahamas, as the country is covered in rock and limestone. Salty waters and soils make farming and growing crops difficult or impossible in some areas. The country grows many exotic fruits quite well and is in the process of improving farming practices and increasing produce overall.

The Fix

Education. Many people affected by hunger in The Bahamas are residents who lack formal education. Studies revealed that when the head of household has no formal education, the incidence of poverty is 25%. That number is almost cut in half when the head of household has a primary education. Families that have a head with some college and are living in poverty are less than 1%. Agricultural education is also essential to improving crop production within the country and lowering the need for imports and the overall cost of goods. Alternative farming techniques and improving irrigation are a few ways the region is looking to grow its food production. Other solutions include creating raised garden beds with imported soil and various hydroponic practices.

The Future

Promising. Numerous NGOs are working around the clock to help the fight against hunger and food insecurities. One major contributor to the success of the region is the Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN). Since 2013, the Bahamas Feeding Network has faithfully served the country and continues to make great strides in its fight against hunger in The Bahamas. Partnering with Fidelity Insurance, BFN has hosted two ‘Tee-Off for Hunger Golf Tournaments.’ The tournament raised enough money to provide 750,000 meals in 2023. Royal Caribbean International joined forces with the Bahamas Feeding Network in 2019 and has since raised more than $500,000 and fed countless families during the holidays. Educating residents and farmers are programs like Convoy of Hope. Convoy of Hope recently teamed with the University of Missouri College of Agriculture and together assisted local farmers with training sessions where specialists trained local growers on various practices for growing produce. Those growers then carry valuable new information and skills back to the region to teach others.

Looking Ahead

Many locals struggle to afford food and the agriculture of the region makes it difficult for sustainable produce to grow. Many practices are currently in place to alleviate the food insecurity issues Bahmaians are facing. Formal education is the most vital resource in combating hunger in The Bahamas. Teaching alternative farming practices and techniques also plays a significant role. Organizations like the Bahamas Feeding Network are critical in providing meals and assistance, while programs like Convoy of Hope help educate the future growers of the region with knowledge and advanced farming practices. These programs assist with the push toward The Bahamas being a more self-sustaining region and eliminating hunger in The Bahamas for good.

– Ryan Johnson
Photo: Pixabay

How To Fight Hunger: The HelloFresh Answer

HelloFreshHelloFresh, the meal kit delivery service founded in 2011, serves more than 7 million customers worldwide. In 2022, the company achieved a remarkable milestone by delivering more than 1 billion meals worldwide. Since its advent, the company’s popularity has soared, quickly establishing itself as a trusted provider of quick, fresh and easy meals. However, if you were to ask a HelloFresh employee to  summarize its  purpose in a single word, it might not be “convenience.” Compassion could be a more fitting descriptor, given the company’s numerous ongoing initiatives aimed at combating hunger and addressing global food insecurity.

HelloFresh Mission

In a November 2023 interview with The Borgen Project, HelloFresh emphasized that addressing “food insecurity is an important part of our mission.” Recognizing that more than 700 million people globally struggle with hunger, the company adopts a comprehensive and diverse approach to combat this pervasive issue.

HelloFresh extends its broad perspective beyond its employees and customers, recognizing its potential for global impact and actively engages in significant humanitarian efforts worldwide. In 2023, HelloFresh sent donations to assist those affected by the massive earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Additionally, in 2022, the company initiated a sustained campaign to offer aid to the 11 million Ukrainians facing food insecurity since the outbreak of war.

The assistance to Ukraine from HelloFresh involves the delivery of “more than 1,285 tons of food” from its “production facilities to the Polish Food Bank Federation in Krakow and Poznan and the Red Cross in Lublin, from where the food will be distributed among refugee families and across the border of Ukraine.”

Additionally, the initiative continues to provide free meal kits to families in Germany who have generously opened their homes to Ukrainian refugees. HelloFresh has also created programs to allow refugees’ seamless engagement with potential job opportunities within the company.

HelloFresh Principles

Donations are not just limited to “surplus food, ingredients” and “meal kits” (though plenty of these are included) but also incorporate “employee volunteer hours and monetary contributions” to organizations that are working towards similar goals.

HelloFresh operates on four simple principles that guide and govern its global actions against hunger. These principles serve as the foundation for keeping compassion at the core of all its operations. The company aims to:

  1. Fight Hunger – make nutritious food available and accessible. 
  2. Think Local -work with communities and centers within its operating areas.
  3. Prioritize Collaboration – create lasting, substantial partnerships to maximize impact.
  4. Follow the results: put positive impacts first.

HelloFresh will continue to fight hunger for years to come. The years ahead hold the promise of more food donations, more beneficiaries and more impact. “We are always looking for new ways to give back,” the company shared with The Borgen Project, expressing anticipation for “much more to come in 2024.”

– Peggy Hughes
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Hunger in Latin America


Hunger affects 43.2 million in Latin America and the Caribbean. While this figure represents 0.5% over a previous measurement, hunger in the region is still 0.9% above the 2019 records before COVID-19. Here are 10 facts about Hunger in Latin America:

10 Facts About Hunger in Latin America

  1. The Cost of a Healthy Diet is Higher in this Region – Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest healthy diet costs worldwide. The cost of a healthy diet increased by 5.3% in the region between 2020 and 2021. This increase was due to food inflation and errors in supply chain distribution. The average price of a healthy diet globally is $3.66 per person per day, but the average cost in Latin America is $4.08. 
  2. Food Insecurity is Still Rising in the Region – In 2022, 247.8 million people in the region experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. This caused some people to reduce the quality or quantity of their food and, in some cases, even skip meals. 
  3. Fuel and Energy Prices Affect Food Insecurity – This makes it more difficult for people to access food, as they cannot afford fuel for transportation. In addition, the cost of moving a ton of food into the region is seven times more expensive, increasing hunger in Latin America.  
  4. An Increase in Production and Exports Over the Last Few Years Have Increased Hunger – Since 2022, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, among other countries in the region, have continued to boost their production. This growth has been partially due to the increase in food prices. With the increase in production, food prices will continue to increase to account for higher production costs. 
  5. Welfare Does Not Help Food Insecurity – Moderate and severe food insecurity has grown in the last two years, even for those who receive the Auxílio Brasil benefit, “a cash transfer of 600 reais ($115) per month for families living in poverty or extreme poverty.” About 32.7% of families that receive welfare earn less than half of Brazil’s minimum wage. Welfare may help with diapers or other items for kids, but it cannot cover everything. This leaves people vulnerable to hunger. 
  6. People Are Facing the Darien Gap – People are willing to ​​risk their lives crossing the Darien Gap. This is a particularly arduous and dangerous forest route in Central America, facilitating access from the south to the north of the continent. In 2021, 151,000 people passed through this route, and this typically involves 10 days walking through a forest and 10 days through rivers and crossing mountains. Many people died in the process. Yet, people are desperate to move because they have lost everything and can no longer support their families. They have no access to food or food security.  
  7. Food Insecurity Due to the Pandemic – When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, almost 3.1 billion people worldwide could not afford a healthy diet. Approximately 117.3 million of those people were from Latin America and the Caribbean. 
  8. Action Against Hunger – Action Against Hunger is an organization dedicated to fighting hunger and improving food security in more than 50 countries, including Latin America. It helps people in small communities access healthier food, more income and markets. This boosts their economic productivity, allowing them to access food.
  9. Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative – This organization is creating conditions to help eradicate hunger permanently by 2025. Their work is mainly in the legal sector, where they develop legal frameworks that promote and protect the right to food, institutions that coordinate and monitor the negotiations to increase food security and policies that lead to practical actions to end hunger.
  10. Feeding My Starving Children – This is another organization that aims to limit hunger in the region. The organization sends nutritious meals to several ministries in Peru, where its partners seek to provide love and hope in the name of Jesus.

Looking Ahead

While there is still work to be done to eliminate hunger in Latin America, the efforts of the above organizations spurs hope for a better future.   

– Sara Agosto
Photo: Flickr

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School Meals Eating Away at Child Hunger in Madagascar

Child Hunger in MadagascarMadagascar is an island off the Southeast coast of Africa that is highly vulnerable to severe weather events such as cyclones and floods. Between 2018 and 2022, it suffered its worst prolonged drought in 40 years, devastating crops and leaving 48.5% of its population undernourished. A string of cyclones have exacerbated the situation, decimating food production, which in 2022 left 500,000 children under five acutely malnourished. With a poverty rate of more than 80%, reducing child hunger in Madagascar is an uphill challenge. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has partnered with the Malagasy government for over 30 years to deliver a school feeding program that provides primary school children with lunch and snacks. In 2022, this program supported 325,300 children in 937 schools. 

Nutrition 

Food shortages have led to high levels of child hunger in Madagascar, causing 40% of children to be stunted and 7.7% of children under 5 to suffer from wasting, which leads to higher mortality and morbidity risks. 

The school feeding program addresses this by ensuring children get at least one nutritious meal daily. These consist of micronutrient-rich foods otherwise missing from their diets, such as fruits, vegetables, fish and fortified oil to provide much-needed vitamin A. It also gives children micronutrient supplements and biofortified rice for extra protein.

The WFP also promotes the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) to diversify children’s diets, which links school meals with smallholder farmers. This program makes children’s diets more varied and nutritious while stimulating the local economy. Children also receive nutrition education to instill long-term dietary behavioral changes and promote better health. 

In addition, some schools participate in the School Gardens Project, which promotes school canteens to use fresh vegetables grown in urban micro-vegetable gardens. This program encourages the practice of urban agriculture among the general population while increasing nutrition and food security for children. 

The Economy

School feeding is a social safety net that relieves parents of part of their food costs and saves them around 10% of their income, allowing them to spend money on other necessities, further stimulating the economy. 

Furthermore, HGSF gives smallholder farmers a stable market for their products by connecting them with schools. Farmers can then invest this income in better agricultural practices, which, in turn, increases productivity. 

As well as being detrimental to peoples’ lives, child hunger in Madagascar is a significant burden on the economy, with the associated health costs totaling 14.5% of GDP. The government can spend its money on other well-needed projects by reducing child undernutrition. 

School feeding also has long-term impacts, allowing children to get an education, find work and contribute to the economy. The WFP School Feeding Programme costs only $26 per student per year, yet it creates $935 throughout the recipient’s life.

Education 

High rates of malnutrition not only affect children’s physical development but also impede their cognitive development. Chronically malnourished children have greater problems understanding and engaging with school material than their well-nourished classmates and have lower learning outcomes in reading and mathematics. They also drop out of school at a higher rate.

Schools where children receive meals have improved learning outcomes, reducing absenteeism and the dropout rate. They also have 14% higher attendance; on average, students stay in school for one year more. Incentivizing children to attend school regularly and for longer gives them access to a better education and a more promising future.

Many children in Madagascar cannot attend school because they must work to support their families. Such a lack of access to education promotes the cycle of poverty by robbing children of their future job prospects. School feeding incentivizes parents to send their children to school as they are guaranteed a nutritious meal and an education. 

Looking Ahead

The importance of school feeding in the fight against poverty cannot be understated. WFP has pulled out all the stops to reduce child hunger in Madagascar by providing them with the nutrition they need to develop physically and cognitively while incentivizing them to get an education and escape poverty. 

– Marcos Caro
Photo: Flickr

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Everything To Know About Hunger In Uganda

Hunger In UgandaUganda, one of the world’s poorest countries, has suffered from a hunger crisis for many years. Despite governmental support, the rates of hunger in Uganda remain stubbornly high. A 2020/2021 report confirms that 30% of Ugandans are living in poverty. This is a slight decrease since the 2012/2013 reports, which showed 31% living in poverty. This small decrease shows that despite continued work to fight against hunger and poverty in Uganda, the fight against hunger has a long journey ahead. 

Organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP) and Action Against Hunger are making amazing progress in the fight against poverty and are working to reduce the hunger problem in Uganda. Many factors contribute to the hunger crisis, and there is no quick solution to this global issue. Here are some factors contributing to the hunger crisis in Uganda.

Landscape 

An outstanding natural landscape surrounds Uganda, and the climate is harshly impacted by its beautiful mountains, lakes and hills. Uganda’s tropical climate means it has plenty of fertile agricultural land that can feed 200 million people. Unsurprisingly, Uganda’s soil has captured the interest of many foreign investors, with the land’s potential for plentiful crop growth. While this may seem like a beneficiary for Uganda, it can also contribute to the problem of uneven distribution of produce amongst the population and Uganda’s overreliance on crop produce.

Climate

Uganda’s tropical climate has proven to be an issue for crop growth, which can lead to the spread of hunger. Its climate is known to often switch from prolonged torrential rain to extreme drought, thus making it difficult for agriculture to provide for families. This climate often results in a lack of surplus produce from farms, and many in Uganda remain hungry and unable to obtain sufficient food to sustain their families. This situation leads to many families lacking access to basic essentials such as cooking oil, fuel, beef, bread and rice.” 

Agriculture

Given the climate’s impact on creating fertile and prosperous land, it is no surprise that agriculture significantly impacts the population’s prosperity and hunger rates. Approximately 84% of the population lives in rural areas, meaning that agriculture significantly impacts Uganda’s economy, as this overwhelming part of the population is over reliant on agriculture. 

An overreliance on subsistence farming makes it difficult for families dependent on products grown on their land, leaving them vulnerable to the country’s tropical climate. 

The unequal distribution of food and other essential goods greatly impacts hunger in Uganda. Limited infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, causes this unequal distribution, leading to food surpluses in some regions and food shortages in others. 

Health Care

Malnutrition is a prevailing concern among women and children who cannot obtain reliable health care. Almost 30% of children in Uganda suffer from malnutrition, which leads to life-threatening conditions and stunting. The reality for many families, particularly those in rural areas, is that there is not enough education surrounding proper health care, thus leading to malnutrition and the spread of disease.

Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger fights against the hunger crisis in Uganda by educating families about proper health care and providing life-saving nutritional programs to those living in extreme poverty. This process includes educating mothers about proper nutrition. Action Against Hunger is helping decrease malnutrition rates in young infants and their mothers. The organization aims to reach as many individuals as possible, impacting 1,084,743 people in Uganda last year. 

Action Against Hunger reaches out in Uganda through five refugee settlements that work towards preventing and treating malnutrition in young infants, children, pregnant women and mothers. They achieve this through educating the people on how to live healthy lives, helping create access to clean water and sanitation, and even assisting farmers to improve their yields.

The World Food Programme (WFP)

The World Food Programme (WFP) offers school meals to 418 million children around the world, guaranteeing them one nutritious meal a day. This aid has had a groundbreaking impact on the health of schoolchildren. By establishing a sustainable school meals program, WFP improves the lives of children around Uganda and creates a market for local smallholder farmers. 

There is no quick solution to fix the problem of hunger in Uganda. However, by taking the necessary steps, initiatives like WFP and AAH continue to make a massive impact on the lives of many. These organizations have improved the standard of living for many by helping to reduce levels of malnutrition and by educating those living in poverty about proper health care and nutrition. While the battle against hunger continues to be a long and challenging path, these issues have decreased significantly over the past decade.

– Éadaoin O’Leary
Photo: Flickr

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Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone

Action Against Hunger in Sierra LeoneSierra Leone, a country in West Africa, faces chronic food insecurity due to ongoing climate shocks and disease outbreaks, such as an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and the COVID-19 pandemic. While the country is currently peaceful, Sierra Leone is recovering from an 11-year civil war, which ultimately dismantled infrastructure within the country and destroyed essential social services. 

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 57% of people in Sierra Leone are food insecure, 26.2% of children face impaired growth and development due to chronic malnutrition, and 43% of people live below the poverty line. A high poverty rate, coupled with limited access to education and health care, exacerbates the vulnerability of Sierra Leone’s population to hunger and malnutrition.

Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organization, is committed to eradicating hunger worldwide. The organization states, “A world without hunger will never be achieved alone. We collaborate with communities, foundations, companies, governments, and humanitarian partners to achieve zero hunger.” 

Founded in 1979, the organization operates in more than 50 countries. It reaches approximately 28 million people a year by implementing a comprehensive approach focusing on advocacy, food security, nutrition, water sanitation, emergency responses and researching innovative solutions. Funded by various governments, institutional donors and private contributors, their approach focuses on providing sustainable solutions and achieving food security for all.

Action Against Hunger began its mission in Sierra Leone in 1991, at the beginning of the country’s civil war and during the subsequent humanitarian crisis. According to BlackPast, “The Sierra Leone Civil War was one of the bloodiest in Africa resulting in more than fifty thousand people dead and half a million displaced in a nation of four million people.” 

The initial goals of Action Against Hunger were to provide emergency relief, improve water and sanitation, and combat malnutrition. The organization’s early engagement laid the foundation for ongoing, comprehensive programs addressing the complex factors contributing to hunger.

Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone

In recent years, Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone has implemented various programs targeting malnutrition, food security, water and sanitation in Sierra Leone. The primary focus of Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone is improving health systems and services to prevent and treat malnutrition of children. Action Against Hunger provides “pregnant women, mothers, caregivers, and young people with knowledge about healthy nutrition through training, awareness, and cooking sessions.” 

Implementing bottom-up approaches, such as empowering pregnant women, mothers, caregivers and young people through providing knowledge on healthy nutrition, signifies a proactive strategy that fosters community involvement and ensures sustained positive impact. 

Action Against Hunger has also implemented the PROSSAN project in Sierra Leone, which seeks to address the profound health challenges of vulnerable populations within the country, focusing on women, children under 5 and young people. PROSSAN is has support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and works to provide quality care for women and young people adjusted for specific needs to reduce early pregnancies and the number of maternal and infant deaths. 

The program is founded on three key pillars: 

  1. Promoting good practices within the health system.
  2. Empowering communities and Civil Society Organizations to enhance behaviors benefitting health.
  3. Advocating for policy changes to improve the health of the targeted populations. 

The Future of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone faces ongoing challenges, including changing weather patterns and health crises. Looking ahead, Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone aims to expand its impact by scaling up successful interventions and collaborating with local partners. The United Nations has set a goal of ending hunger and ensuring access to food for all people in Sierra Leone by 2030. This broader goal includes ending malnutrition, doubling agricultural productivity, ensuring sustainable food production systems, diversifying farming, increasing investments in rural infrastructure and more. Organizations like Action Against Hunger contribute to achieving these broader goals by committing to evolving strategies in response to extreme hunger in Sierra Leone.

– Marisa Kole
Photo: Flickr

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4 Foods That Can Feed the World’s Poor

Feed the World’s PoorPeople around the world are suffering from hunger—more than 800 million of them as of 2021, in fact. Some specific foods that can feed the world’s poor include amaranth, pigeon peas, taro and fonio. Apart from them being nutritious, their weather-resilient nature makes these crops ideal. While tackling the hunger crisis does involve immediate food relief, it also requires a longer-term investment in teaching people to plant well, using sustainable agricultural practices and crops suited to harsh environments. Here are four plants that communities can plant across the world to address hunger.

Amaranth

Although amaranth produces grain, every part of it is edible. Furthermore, its nine amino acids and high protein and fiber content make it a very nutritious meal. It is drought-resistant and has been planted yearly on nearly every continent, making it an excellent crop. Amaranth grain is easier to digest after soaking for a few days. It can be turned into flour or added to a variety of dishes. Amaranth tastes “sweet and nutty,” with a “crunchy [texture] when cooked.” Puente a la Salud Comunitaria is a nonprofit working in Oaxaca, Mexico, to reduce malnutrition and poor health. It is incorporating amaranth into its diet outreach and microenterprise workshops because of its high nutrition. Purdue also recognized the importance of amaranth as one of the foods that can feed the world’s poor when it created an amaranth popper for use in Africa.

Pigeon Peas

This “pea” is not a snap pea or a cowpea. While the grain is edible, the other parts of the plant have been used as roofing, medicine and charcoal. Its usefulness as far more than a food increases its favorability. Pigeon peas are drought and heat-resistant. They can be harvested ripe or dry and must be replanted every year in areas that receive frost. However, in areas without frost, the pea plant can last for up to five years. Under the right conditions, this is an extremely high-yield plant. One plant reportedly produced 2.5 lbs. of seeds, making it an excellent addition to the list of foods that can feed the world’s poor. It is grown widely in India and Africa and has been cultivated at high elevations.

This pea is known for its sweet flavor and must be cooked before it is eaten. In 2022, Madagascan farmers took advantage of pigeon peas’ drought-resistant nature and used the peas to feed their families. The improved soil quality post-pea can be used to plant other crops. In Malawi, pigeon peas have a reputation for being the food that gets eaten when there isn’t anything else to eat. This demonstrates their hardiness, but people are not receptive to it as a staple because they are unaware of its many uses. To solve that problem, a pigeon pea cookbook was published in 2022 to teach people how to use it.

Taro

The underground part of this plant is the most commonly eaten portion, but contrary to popular belief, it is a corm or underground stem, not a root. Although its leaves and stalks are also edible,  they are eaten less frequently. High in fiber and nutrients, this adaptable plant is grown around the world, making it one of the ideal foods that can feed the world’s poor. There are several varieties of taro, and as a result, it can be grown in different types of soil. It must be cooked before it is eaten due to its toxicity when raw, and “has a mildly sweet taste and a texture similar to potato” with a note of nuttiness. One of taro’s limits is its inability to store well for long periods of time. However, it can be prepared in various ways to feed the world’s poor.

The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance recognizes that taro takes a limited amount of land and work to grow. This makes it an attractive option for farmers and countries in poverty. In 2018, the crop was “9th in the world for food crop production.”

Fonio

This hardy and nutritious grain is another food that can feed the world’s poor. It contains important amino acids along with plenty of fiber and nutrients. Fonio is extremely drought-resistant and can also flourish in less-than-ideal soil conditions. These two characteristics make this grain a formidable opponent of world hunger. It is a traditional African crop and has been grown there longer than any other cereal. It is also easily stored, enhancing its capacity to address hunger. This grain has a “rich, nutty flavor” and expands in size four times when cooked in water.

Looking Ahead

According to UNICEF, “more than one in five children under age 5 worldwide had stunted growth” as a result of malnutrition in 2022. With hardy, nutritious and versatile crops like taro, fonio, pigeon peas and amaranth available, solving world hunger and changing the lives of millions of people could be within reach.

– Abigail Leland
Photo: Unsplash

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3 US Initiatives Fighting Global Hunger

Fighting Global HungerGlobal hunger is a multifaceted issue that affects communities and economies. Addressing it is not only a humanitarian imperative but also essential for achieving broader global goals and ensuring a more equitable and sustainable future.

Despite the challenges posed by the Russo-Ukrainian war and the growing wave of nationalism, the United States continues to take initiatives aimed at reducing global hunger and improving food systems and nutrition security on a global scale.

What is the Global Hunger Index?

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is responsible for calculating and tracking hunger at regional, national levels and global levels. GHI evaluation is done on the values of four component indicators: undernourishment, insufficient availability of food, shortfalls in the nutritional status of children and child mortality. The GHI score is measured on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where zero is the best score, indicating no hunger, and 100 is the worst.

According to the report, there are currently 46 countries experiencing “serious” or “alarming” levels of hunger. Unfortunately, without significant changes, both the global situation and approximately 46 specific countries are not expected to attain even a minimal level of hunger reduction, as the Global Hunger Index (GHI) measured, by the year 2030.

Some have said the reason to be the Russo-Ukrainian War, which has disturbed the supply chain. Before that, the COVID-19 pandemic worsened economic crises. Further climate change and civil disputes have increased the scale of global hunger. This has caused the need for the urgent scaling up of humanitarian and resilience-building responses.

The US Initiatives for Reducing Global Hunger

The U.S. is responding to these worrying details with three initiatives. The U.S. dollar has relatively high purchasing power, and the country is trying to contribute its fair share to end global hunger.

The following three initiatives have extended humanitarian assistance to the people who are facing hunger.

1. Feed the Future

The foundation of this initiative was laid down in 2010 by Barack Obama. The program has helped in the technological advancement of 9 million farmers and improved the diets of nearly 18 million children across the globe by working in a variety of sectors to reduce hunger and promote self-resilience. It is active in 19 countries including Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, etc. 

The program focuses on the promotion of agriculture. For example, the program has helped farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to learn new techniques upon high prices of fertilizers. The Feed the Future DRC Fall Armyworm Activity program works with farmers to make them aware of new technology and methods of mitigating the Armyworm, an infectious pest.

Furthermore, Feed the Future catalyzes research in various fields. As an illustration, in 2023, Esther Achola conducted research aimed at combating groundnut rosette disease (GRD). This disease is especially harmful to peanut crops as it results in plant discoloration, stunting and distortion, leading to total loss of the crop. In April 2023, a five-year, USAID promised a $15 million investment in the Peanut Innovation Lab. This contribution will strengthen global food security and will prove a boon for farmers.

2. Food For Peace

Almost 60 years ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower found a solution to the agricultural surplus going to waste in America. He signed the Agricultural Trade Development Assistance Act into law. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy expanded the program, naming it Food For Peace (FFP). The new program came under the purview of foreign policy and worked to provide food to people in need.

Through its emergency programs, the program can reach people in acute shortage of food, who natural disasters affect. The program also has a development-focused aspect which equips people to be less dependent on foreign assistance. 

Yemen has the most concerning situation in terms of food security. FFP provided more than $361 million in life-saving emergency food assistance to Yemen in 2018.

In Guatemala, FFP trains people to farm in a way that helps the environment and makes more food at home. In the area where the project happened, more farmers started using good farming methods. These methods include using better seeds, taking care of the soil, using natural fertilizers, growing gardens at home, looking after fruit trees and growing local herbs. In 2013, only 50.1% of farmers used these methods, but by 2018, it went up to 63.8%.

3. The Global Food Security Act

The Global Food Security Act of 2016 was aimed at extending the U.S. commitment to eliminate global hunger. The success of the Feed the Future program prompted the passing of this act. On October 11, 2018, President Trump signed a law that reauthorized the Global Food Security Act and added five years to achieve better results. It emphasized reducing global hunger and poverty with attention to solving the problem of malnutrition in developing countries. Sustainable development aims to achieve the reduction.

The Global Food Security Act of 2016, or GFSA, made official the methods that Feed the Future uses to combat global hunger. It is a commitment to keep fighting hunger and making sure everyone knows about it. Through GFSA, the United States made Feed the Future even stronger by improving how it tracks progress and making different parts of the government work together.

Looking Ahead

Addressing global hunger is imperative for a more equitable and sustainable future. Despite the challenges that conflicts pose, such as pandemics and changing weather patterns, the United States is actively engaged in combating global hunger through initiatives like Feed the Future, Food For Peace and the Global Food Security Act. These efforts exemplify the nation’s commitment to making a positive impact on the global food security landscape, emphasizing the urgency of collective global action to achieve meaningful progress.

– Asra Mairaj
Photo: Flickr

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Everything to Know about Hunger in Palestine

Hunger in PalestineAs all eyes turn to Palestine and Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, basic resource management and distribution will undoubtedly be essential for the survival of millions. As of October 9th, 2023, Israel laid a “complete siege” on Gaza, known as “the world’s largest open-air prison.” With no food, water or electricity allowed into the area, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is racing against time to serve more than 800,000 people in need of basic resources.

Facts on the Gaza Strip

The Palestinian territories are split into two main regions, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The Gaza Strip is home to 2.3 million people and is considered one of the most “densely populated territories” internationally. According to the United Nations, 80% of Gazans live in poverty. However, food insecurity and insufficiency, while undoubtedly in need of critical attention right now, are not new needs in the Palestinian territories.

Hunger Crisis in Palestine

Here are four numbers you need to know about the hunger crisis in Palestine.

  1. About 76% is the percentage of those suffering from food insecurity in Gaza. According to the Food Security Cluster’s 2022 analysis, the clear majority of those suffering from food insecurity in the Palestinian territories are located in Gaza. Thus, 24% of “food insecure people” are located in the West Bank.
  2. As many as 400,000 in Gaza and the West Bank are routinely receiving UN World Food Programme assistance. The WFP has served Palestine since 1991. It provides general food assistance, mainly through the form of electronic vouchers, encouraging Palestinians through economic hardship and restricted accessibility to resources, and supporting the Palestinian Authority’s national safety net.
  3. Roughly 42% of children are receiving a “minimum diversity diet.” The flip side is that 58% of young children are not receiving the nutrients necessary for development. According to UNICEF, minimum dietary diversity is defined as regularly eating food from at least four of the seven food groups: “1) grains, roots and tubers, 2) legumes and nuts, 3) dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), 4) flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry and liver/organ meats), 5) eggs, 6) vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables, and 7) other fruits and vegetables.”
  4. About 95% is the percentage of wheat that Palestine must import. This statistic is extremely important as it expresses the fragility of Palestine’s food access and its integral reliance on Israel for resources and products. The Israel-Hamas war undoubtedly will have negative effects on Israel and Palestine’s food exchange. The Palestine Authority (PA) does not own any food storage infrastructure, so it must rely on Israel’s facilities and the PA’s private sector.

Chain Reaction in Israel and Palestine from the Russia-Ukraine War

But the chain reaction does not stop there. Because Israel imports “half of its grain and cereals from Ukraine,” Israel, and thus Palestine, suffered great decreases in food reception because of the ongoing Ukraine crisis. According to the World Food Programme, the war between Russia and Ukraine resulted in increased food prices in the Palestinian territories with “wheat flour (up by 23.6%), corn oil (26.3%), lentils (17.6%) and table salt (30%), decimating Palestinians’ purchasing power.”

There is one more number to consider: 522,000. This is the number of people that the WFP has assisted in Palestine with cash and food since the start of the crisis. The organization’s current goal, in Palestine specifically, is to reach 805,000 people with food by the end of November 2023.

Focusing on Those in Need During the Israel-Hamas War

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization. It has been active in serving others since 1961. The group is entirely reliant on donations from governments, institutions, groups and individuals, and “a total 93.5% of all government contributions go directly to supporting life-saving and life-changing operations.” The WFP aims to raise $74 million over the next three months to provide adequate assistance to those in need in Palestine. 

As Palestine and Israel continue to dominate headlines, humanitarian aid is poured out to those in need. However, the severe humanitarian and hunger crisis in Palestine is not a new or temporary occurrence. The Palestinian territories, now more than ever, need assistance from other countries and governmental organizations for access to food, water and sanitation.

– Kaitlyn Garrett
Photo: Flickr

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Everything to Know About Hunger in Haiti

Hunger in Haiti
Throughout history, misfortune has plagued Haiti. Just between 2010 and today, natural disasters and political instability have rendered it the poorest country in the Americas. As a result, the issue of hunger in Haiti has carried an overbearing toll on the country, only worsening in recent years. Political instability, natural disasters and subsequent gang violence and economic difficulties have made hunger a central threat to the livelihood of the Haitian population, and a crucial focus of relief agencies. 

Decades of Instability 

In the past 10 years alone, Haiti has struggled with at least four major political and natural disasters. Between 2000 and 2019, Haiti was the third country most affected by extreme weather patterns. Most notably, the 2010 earthquake and 2016 hurricane resulted in countless casualties and the destruction of infrastructure. Politically, the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise has triggered a period of instability. As a result, gang activity has been at a high, seeing a surge in violence with negative spillover effects. Gangs have taken control over ports in the capital of Port-au-Prince, as well as agricultural areas, resulting in widespread hunger.

Economic Fall Out

Severe inflation has resulted in an exponential rise in hunger in Haiti. As Haiti is a country that is highly dependent on food imports given its agricultural struggles, inflation levels are volatile and particularly contingent on the global economy. Currently, inflation levels stand at 44%. This means that food prices are virtually unaffordable for much of the population, with the price of a food basket increasing by 88% in 2023 alone. The combination of gangs controlling ports and food-producing areas with the spike in food prices has left many in Haiti with limited options for survival.

Hunger Statistics

Haiti has one of the highest food insecurity levels in the world. As of 2021, its Human Development Index places it at 163 out of 191 countries. The past year has seen individuals continue to struggle at emergency levels. Almost 5 million people, half of the population, are in hunger and 1.8 million of them face severe starvation. Children are at particular risk, with 22% of Haiti’s children being malnourished, 10% underweight and 66% anemic. Experiencing hunger from such a young age places children in particularly vulnerable positions to a variety of health troubles that they are likely to experience into adulthood. 

Help is on the Way

The United Nations has identified Haiti as one of the most pressing hunger “hotspots” in the world Despite the levels of hunger in Haiti, UN relief agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) have plans in place to aid the country. The biggest food safety net in the country is in the form of school feeding plans, with approximately 300,000 children being fed a day in more than 1,000 schools. WFP has also provided emergency food assistance to more than 150,000 people, as well as cash transfers to allow for independent allocation of resources. On top of these more direct aid efforts, WFP collaborates with communities to develop emergency preparedness and new farming techniques that will allow for long-term resilience in the face of such uncertain times.

Despite the scale of this aid, funding and donations are crucial to its maintenance. Donations and an upscale of attention from governments around the world are central to developing these funds. For 2023, the WFP is helping 1.47 million people through its various aid techniques. So far, as a part of those techniques, the WFP’s emergency assistance has helped countless people on the verge of starvation. In 2022, the WFP delivered food to 723,000 people, as well as transferred $22.9 million in cash to those in need.

In addition to emergency assistance, resilience programs were successfully implemented. Such programs included road and canal building, as well as tree planting. In total, these resilience programs reached 113,000 people, and strive to reach more in the coming year. Reaching funding goals has been crucial to these successes and in the future can dramatically improve levels of hunger in Haiti, saving even more lives than before.

– Lucie Dumont
Photo: Flickr