Main Causes Of The World Hunger That We Must Address To Eliminate It

Millions of people in the world do not have adequate food to eat and are suffering from hunger. One in every nine people in the world sleeps on empty stomach every night.  There are number of causes that have contributed in the situation where our world is in today. However, few greatest causes of world hunger that we must address to eliminate it are given below-

Poor Agriculture Practices- Due to poor and chemical-based agriculture practices, the world has seen a major boost in the issues such as deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, etc. There is a need to improve farming practices with the help of changes such as organic farming because it does not contaminate the air, water and land, and can surely help us meet the growing need of food.

Food Wastage- A number of reports have revealed that every year billions of pounds of good and eatable food is wasted throughout the world. According to stats, one third of all grown food is never eaten, which is devastating. Hence, we have to address it and stop it to ensure that it reaches to the people that need it the most.

Poverty- It is one of the main causes of world hunger, as it is difficult for people living in poverty to have enough money to purchase nutritious food for themselves and their family members. Without nutritious food their bodies become weaker and they fail to earn money that can help them get over poverty and hunger. Therefore, we must address poverty to end the hunger.

Unstable Market- Over the years, price of the food products have been very fluctuating that makes harder for poorer people to access healthy food consistently. There is a need to address this issue, as it can help us to ensure that the poorer people will have access to adequate food throughout the year.

Population Growth- With increasing population, the demand of food grows as well. Growing population particularly affects the developing countries because it becomes hard to match food product rates with the population growth rates. Hence, it is crucial to add the issue of population growth appropriately to end the world hunger.

 If we address factors mentioned above with all our efforts, we can surely contribute in the world hunger relief and eradicate it gradually. Until then, we can be part of the firms, groups, or organizations that are working hard to end the hunger.

Malnutrition – A Multi-Faced Monster Eating Generations From Inside!

Malnutrition is one of the biggest consequences of world hunger. It is the condition when an individual does not get enough food or nutrients. It can be a result of hunger, poverty or any other reason. A medical condition can also lead to it. Malnutrition affects an individual’s physical and mental abilities as well as overall development.

But, did you know that it is not limited to just one type? Are you aware of the fact that malnutrition has multiple types?

Here are some of the major kinds of malnutrition –

Protein energy – In this type, an individual lacks the sufficient amount of calorie or protein in their diet. It kills numerous people worldwide every year. Children are at a higher risk of getting this kind of malnourishment. There are two further kinds of this malnutrition, kwashiorkor and marasmus. The latter one is the result of energy deficiency due to which, an individual loses lots of weight. Kwashiorkor is another kind in which a person suffers protein deficiency. It can result into an enlarged liver, swelling of the ankles and feet etc.

Micro nutrients – This is another type of malnutrition which affects people on a large number. It is the situation in which individuals suffer due to the lack of micro nutrients. It includes different kinds of dietary vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iodine, selenium, iron, zinc, vitamin C, Vitamin B1 & D, and more. These deficiencies can lead to different types of medical conditions like Rickets, Pellagra, Keshan disease etc. It is a result of individual’s diet lacking of necessary vitamins and mineral.

However, above mentioned various types of malnutrition show that it is a multi-faced monster that eats generations from the inside. Not only it affects individuals but also their children and generations to come.

But, how it affects generations?

A malnourished mother is likely to give birth to a low birth-weight child. Without proper food or nutrition, their children are also likely to become malnourished. So, it travels from generations to generations. It is a painful cycle that should be stopped. Ending world hunger is the only solution to end this cycle.

Only by ending hunger worldwide and providing nutritious food to everyone, the monster of malnutrition can be defeated. People must get necessary nutrients, which can prevent any kind of deficiency or disease by improving immunity.

What Are The Different Methods To End World Hunger?

Hunger is one of the biggest and serious problems today and there are around millions of people across the world that are killed because of hunger than any other diseases like AIDS, malaria etc.  However, not only poor countries, but also all the big and developed countries are facing hunger related issues.

However, how can you end hunger? Well, there are number of ways/methods that can be helpful in ending the world hunger. Such as-

Educate- The most important step that can be followed to solve the world hunger problem is to educate yourself as well as others about this issue. Moreover, education is considered as the best tool that is used against poverty and hunger.  There are around thousands of charities that take initiative to offer food to those in need. So why not start with education first?

In addition, many countries even organize different education programs where people are given free food.

Volunteer-You can even participate as an active volunteer in different programs.  As stated before, there are thousands of charities and by participating as a volunteer, you can provide support to the particular organization and help people in taking necessary action against hunger.  You can even speak to people who are already working with the organizations to know more about them.

Support farmers- Supporting and training small farmers and ensuring fair prices for farmers can largely help to solve the world hunger problem. Moreover, farmers must be provided with the required education and training regarding irrigation, better planting of crops, introduction to better seeds etc to ensure future food security.

Partnership-There are number of funds and organizations that are working on providing support and charity to the people in need. You can collaborate with these different organizations and can help with ways to end world hunger.

Protect the land, seeds and water-Number of communities are losing acres of lands every year because of different government actions.

Moreover, water also plays a major role in ending world hunger. Every person should have an access to safe drinking water. Furthermore, nutrition and food security are deeply connected to water. Therefore, it is very important to protect land, support seed saving and conserve water to end the world hunger. 

How Forests Can Help In Ending World Hunger?

World hunger is a grave issue for which various solutions are being explored. Focus on ending child hunger, supporting small farmers, and ending poverty are some of the major solutions in the fight against hunger. But, forests are the aspects that are usually discounted.
People may not realize but forests could be the key to end world hunger. How? Answer is –

By supporting farmers and poor people – It is a well-known fact that small farmers profoundly depend on the natural resources including woodlands. Tree based farming provides better protection against the harsh weather conditions effectively protecting crops. It increases the food production and supports small farmers.

People who cannot afford other fuels like liquid petroleum gas (LPG gas) depend on wood fuels. Forests also help poor individuals in earning some capital. Many people sell various forest products such as oils, fruits etc., to get some extra income. This extra income helps in decreasing and eventually ending poverty, which is one of the major aspects in world hunger. Not being able to afford nutritious food is the probably the biggest reason behind world hunger.

By providing nutritious food options – You may not realize but woodlands also provide various nutritious food options such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, honey and more. Local people consume these options in their daily diet and get numerous nutrients. In case of a natural calamity like drought, these diet options become very essential for people.

By sheltering wild life including various food sources – Woodlands also provide shelter to wild life in which many are used as a food source.

It includes fishes and animals that are used for completing meat requirements of diet. It completes the nutrients requirements including fats, protein and more. All these diet options increase the overall nutrition level for an individual. It also keeps the animal balance in forests while local people get food to eat without spending money.

By providing feed for cattle – Many cattle farmers or small farmers with few cattle depend on forests for animals’ feed. Woodlands provide enough silage to feed their animals, which are an essential source of milk and other products. Waste of these animals is also used to produce biofuel, which reduces the financial burden on an individual.

As mentioned above, woodlands can play a major role in ending hunger worldwide. Natural resources like these may be the key to ending hunger.

How Organic Farming Can Contribute In The World Hunger Relief?

Malnutrition and hunger remains to be one of the serious issues throughout the world. Once you look at the world hunger statics, you will realize that millions of people around the globe do not have sufficient food to lead a healthy active standard of living. However, different organizations and groups are putting their efforts to find the best possible solution to future food security. 

Among all available solutions, organic farming can be a reliable option. The main idea of the organic farming is to grow food with the help of natural resources while keeping them intact and pollution free. To understand the role of organic farming in the world hunger end or relief, go through the factors given below-

• Numbers of studies have revealed that organic techniques can provide much more food compared to conventional chemical-based agriculture. Hence, it can help us meet the need of growing food.

• These techniques are especially beneficial for the areas that lack money, machinery and fossil fuels for industrial approaches, as it is based on traditional techniques that are less resource oriented. 

• Organic farming does not contaminate the air, water, and land just like conventional farming. Hence, it produces long-term additional benefits, as it preserves and builds up the soil instead of depleting it.

• Organic farming also keeps the soil fertilized for longer period, which means that farmers can utilize the land for longer duration of time. On the other hand, it also boosts the local biodiversity.

At the end, we can say that there are no reasons to say no or ignore the organic farming. Apart from its importance in ending the world hunger, it can also reduces the risk of aliments like cancer, heart related issues, etc. Therefore, it is essential for all of us to raise our voice to ensure that organic farming gets the required attention all over the globe.

How Ending Child Malnutrition Is Helpful In Ending World Hunger?

Did you know that every year, hunger kills more people than diseases like malaria and AIDS? It is becoming one of the major concerns all around the world. However, poor countries are not the only ones that are facing the problem of hunger. Even the big and developing countries including Asian nations are facing malnutrition related issues.

Nevertheless, did you know that malnutrition is one of the biggest reasons behind the death of children under the age of 5. This percentage is almost 45%. This fact shows the amount of lives could be saved if child malnutrition is ended. It also shows how ending child malnutrition can be very helpful in ending world hunger. How? Answer is –

Undernourishment affects not only the childhood, but also the later life. They suffering from it are likely to face various problems such as cognitive and physical impairment for the rest of their lives. Their bodies are not strong enough to fight off infections, diseases etc. They are more prone to diseases, which leaves them vulnerable. Undernourishment can even travel from generations to generations as an undernourished mother is likely to give birth to babies with low birth weight.

Undernourishment also affects children’s education as they work to earn money and purchase food in many countries. Working from an early age forces them towards the hard work. It also leads to malnutrition as they are never properly fed.

However, if child malnutrition ends, it would a big step towards ending world hunger. Ending this misfortunate situation can ensure that children receive proper nutrition, get proper education. They can make a life for themselves by getting proper jobs or business since they are well fed and educated too. Since hunger is also connected with poverty, ending poverty (with proper jobs) can help in ending world hunger too.

In addition, it can also ensure that the next generation is free from the curse of undernourishment. If every child gets proper nutrition, hunger problem for probably half of the hungry and malnourished population (if not more) might end worldwide.

There are many organizations that are working in the field of world hunger relief. Even these organizations put pressure on ending child malnutrition since it could be the key to end world hunger.