Famine is a term used to refer to a mass phenomenon expressed in a long-term insufficiency in meeting the nutritional needs of large groups of the population. Famine is most acute in regions with high birth rates – the vast majority of the world’s undernourished people live in developing countries, due to which the world population is mainly increasing. According to Funk et al., “roughly 1 in 10 people are undernourished (821 million) and chronic hunger has increased substantially since 2015 due to the combined effects of poverty, conflict, and a more extreme climate” (1011). In addition, with population growth, the average per capita area under crops decreases, which is also considered evidence of an objective reduction in the opportunities for universal food security. However, there is another view of the causes of the famine, which has already become universally recognized, scientifically substantiated and supported by calculations. Famine and malnutrition are caused not by the lack of objective conditions for food security but by inequality in its distribution.
Human health and the quality of life directly depend on the products the person consumes their quantitative and qualitative composition. A long-term shortage of food, according to many researchers, negatively affects the nation’s gene pool, leading to a reduction in life expectancy and an increase in infant mortality. In addition, even minor interruptions in food supplies lead to an increase in social tension.
The health and socio-economic consequences of famine are dire, numerous, and varied. Manifested in a complex, they form a trap of an unsuccessful breakthrough from poverty. Hunger and malnutrition in childhood hinder mental and physical development and reduce the body’s resistance to disease, but if they are chronic, they often lead to death. Undernourished people have reduced productivity, and children have reduced academic performance. Saving on food subsidies, the state is forced to spend significantly more money on the health care system. UN World Food Programme reports that areas with restricted access to humanitarian support, such as Yemen and Sudan, are especially at risk of famine (para. 10). In general, countries in which the food problem has not been solved, due to the low quality of the labor force, lose the possibility of successful socio-economic development.
Famine Conflict Tree
Effects:
- Shorter life expectance;
- Increase of mortality rates;
- Increased disease rates;
- Internal conflicts in the population;
- Lack of trust towards government;
Core problem: Famine
Underlying Root Causes:
- Climatic changes;
- Military conflicts;
- Overpopulation;
- Lack of rational food distribution and usage methods;
- Increased occurrences of droughts and floods;
- Economic recession.
It must be understood that the problem of famine cannot be solved solely by increasing food production. First of all, to create a sustainable agricultural sector, attention must be paid to the proper functioning of markets, the growth of incomes of small farmers, and equitable access to technology and land. Moreover, an increased investment in sustainable agriculture, as modern food problems are often associated with irrational harvesting methods, food losses, and inadequate distribution. Military conflicts also have a negative impact on the availability of food and destroy agricultural land. The task is to have the political will of the world’s states to consolidate and systematically, sustainably, and effectively solve the existing problems of providing food to the world’s population.
Famine is a serious global problem that requires a solution that will account for the multitude of factors that affect the severity and spread of the issue. However, I think it is important to understand not only how famine can be resolved but also how to accurately predict and prevent it. Developing countries need attention and substantial help from other states to eradicate mass hunger, and that is the most complex problem currently due to the current geopolitical situation in the world. Still, I am certain that with the common effort of the global community, even the most dire cases of famine can be overcome.
Works Cited
Funk, Chris, et al. “Recognizing the Famine Early Warning Systems Network: Over 30 Years of Drought Early Warning Science Advances and Partnerships Promoting Global Food Security.” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, vol. 100, no. 6, 2019, pp. 1011–1027., Web.
UN World Food Programme. “Fighting Famine: World Food Programme.” UN World Food Programme, 2022, Web.