Introduction
The eradication of hunger and consequent malnutrition is one of the most critical tasks of contemporary history. Malnutrition causes detrimental physical and mental suffering and hinders progress in many other areas of development, such as education, the economy, and the workforce. The number of people worldwide who do not have access to food has been rising. This essay will consider the problem of hunger and offer solutions to combat this issue.
The Problem of Hunger and Solutions to It
First of all, it is worth noting that the issue of hunger is a phenomenon that permeates all aspects of society. Hunger manifests itself in two different forms: “hidden” (chronic) and “overt” – in the form of outbreaks of mass starvation due to crop failure caused by natural disasters or military conflicts. Chronic hunger directly responds to poverty; this kind of “invisible” crisis causes constant, often undercurrent, illness, and death of millions of people from generation to generation. Warner (2021) states that at the end of 2020, 30% of the world’s population (more than 2.3 billion people) were deprived of access to proper food, and about 9.9% suffered from hunger (p.7). It seems paradoxical that food producers themselves suffer from hunger and malnutrition – small and landless peasants, tenants, and agricultural workers.
The second “overt” form of hunger is a cause of military conflict; the growing number of protracted collisions in the world is causing hunger to reach unprecedented and unacceptable levels. At the moment, the hostilities are a clear demonstration of the world’s most significant food security emergency. Warnock (2019) argues that the problems concern people living in areas of acute conflict and many people around the globe in countries affected by multiple and long-term political crises, such as Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (p.12). Thus, many African countries resist not only wars but drought and crop failures, which leads to starvation among the local population.
The issue of hunger is complex, requiring comprehensive solutions: giving out food will not stop world hunger. Instead, world leaders must take several steps — especially from developed states — to help less developed countries and their agriculture. In this context, global liberated trade routes must be transformed to accommodate the needs of less developed, less subsidized non-industrial agricultural markets. Otherwise, farmers from less developed countries have to compete with giant agricultural companies in the current state of affairs.
Furthermore, the global goal of combating hunger should involve the development of the agro-industrial sector in regions located in the “hunger belt,” such as countries in Africa, South America, and East Asia. Efforts must be taken by international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and United Nations (UN) to provide these states with nuanced and versatile plans of action and budgeting to subsidize their agricultural sectors and modernize their methods. These measures will increase food production and boost the economy and consequently make these countries more competitive in the world market.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of world hunger is not only about food; instead, it is about the institutional and economic inequality between the Global South and the Global North that has led less developed countries to starve. To solve the issue, world leaders must reorganize the world market to accommodate the progress of those who are less fortunate. This way, developing countries will be given a chance to prosper and succeed economically and acquire the agency to eradicate poverty and hunger.
References
Warner, A. (2021). Ending Hunger: The quest to feed the world without destroying it. Simon and Schuster.
Warnock, J. W. (2019). The Politics of Hunger: The Global Food System. Routledge.