World hunger

BY JOS MIGUEL CABALLERO RESTREPO

What is hunger?
Hunger is the physical sensation of desiring food.

When politicians, relief workers and social scientists talk about people suffering from hunger, they usually refer to those who, for sustained periods, are unable to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs.

A bit hunger history

Throughout history, a large proportion of the world's

population have experienced frequent severe hunger. In many cases, this resulted from food supply disruptions caused by war, plagues, or adverse weather. For the first few decades after World War II, technological progress and enhanced political cooperation suggested it might be possible to substantially reduce the number of people suffering from hunger. While progress was uneven, by 2000 the threat of extreme hunger subsided for many of the world's people.

Who are the hungry

Three-quarters of all hungry people live in rural

areas, mainly in the villages of Asia and Africa. Overwhelmingly dependent on agriculture for their food, these populations have no alternative source of income or employment. As a result, they are vulnerable to crises. Many migrate to cities in their search for employment, swelling the ever-expanding populations of shanty towns in developing countries.

What causes hunger

The world produces enough to feed the entire global

population of 7 billion people. And yet, one person in eight on the planet goes to bed hungry each night. In some countries, one child in three is underweight. Why does hunger exist?
In developing countries, farmers often cannot afford seeds,

so they cannot plant the crops that would provide for their families. They may have to cultivate crops without the tools and fertilizers they need. Others have no land or water or education. In short, the poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty.

What countries are hungry

Most of the worlds hungry live in developing countries.

According to the latest Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics from 2013, there are 842 million hungry people in the world and 98 percent of them are in developing countries.