World Hunger CGW-4U

Hunger Scenario

Remember a time when you have been hungry Missed a meal, Delayed dinner or sick and unable to

eat

Symptoms: felt the gnawing pain of hunger being tired or cranky as your body adapted to the lack

of energy

Feel this feeling now

Hunger Scenario

Situation: Imagine you are unable to get food and this feeling

continues for the whole day

Symptoms: How has your feeling of hunger changed?

How has it impacted your body? How has it impacted your mind? How has it impacted your emotions?

Imagine the consequences of a day without food

Hunger Scenario

Situation: Its been 1 week You have eaten a small amount of food and water You have lost weight

Symptoms: Imagine what the hunger feels like now

How is your ability to perform simple tasks? How much energy do you have?

Imagine the consequences of 1 week without food

Hunger Scenario

Situation: Its been 1 year …. Or a lifetime Without adequate food or water

Any thoughts, feelings, or consequences of hunger that you mentally visualized?

Global Hunger

Approximately 925 million people do not receive adequate daily food supplies

One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished

15,000 children die each day from diseases related to lack of food

During this class 478 people will die of starvation

Definitions

1. Chronic Persistent Hunger: Long-term and consistent conditions of poor nutrition. Has little to do with food shortages

Undernutrition: Caused by not getting enough food to eat – poor food availability

Malnutrition: Caused by poorly balanced diet – not receiving enough nutrients

2. Famine:rapid and severe under nutrition – food shortages occur due to natural conditions. 1/10th of hunger related deaths

Did you eat breakfast today?

A. YesB. No

There is simply not enough food produced to feed

everyone...

A. TrueB. False

Overpopulation is the direct cause of world

hunger....

A. TrueB. False

Poverty, corrupt economic systems and armed conflict are the major causes of

world hunger....

A. TrueB. False

Increasing agricultural land use will solve the

crisis....

A. TrueB. False

Free trade and free markets will decrease the cost of food and increase

global food sharing...

A. TrueB. False

Developed countries could alleviate world hunger by providing food aid to

suffering countries

A. TrueB. False

Perceptions on Global Hunger

1. There is simply not enough food produced to feed everyone

Incorrect: Current enough food to provide a 3200 calorie diet for every person each day. Global food production is not the cause of global hunger

2. Overpopulation is the direct cause of world hunger

Incorrect: there is no correlation between population density and hunger. Often significant food resources per capita coexist with hunger

Perceptions on Global Hunger

3. Increasing agricultural land use will solve the crisis Incorrect: Small scale farming using land more efficiently

and produce larger yields compared to commercial farming

4. Free trade and free markets will decrease the cost of food and increase global food sharing

Incorrect: large corporations produce food at lower costs and benefits from free trade agreements.

5. Developed countries could alleviate world hunger by providing food aid to suffering countries

Incorrect: cannot provide long-term sustainable support by providing aid. Instead, local food economies are impacted.

Causes of World Hunger

1. Poverty Lack of resources and unequal distribution of wealth (land,

tools or money)

2. Corrupt Economic Systems Control over resources and income is based on military,

political and economic power

3. Conflict Surrounding Cause/Importance of Hunger Receives less media attention and little accountability

4. Armed Conflict War disrupts agricultural production, and governments often

spend more on arms than on social programs

World Hunger and the Economy

The Global Food System based on large scale commercialization. domination by large transnational corporations control trade and pricing of food commodities Increasing emphasis on growing cash-crops for export

Developing Countries Are economically dependent on single commodities Commodity and food prices have not risen significantly

while the cost of input has risen dramatically.

Poverty and World Hunger

Malnutrition

Decreased

Energy

Decreased

Ability to Learn

Decreased

Ability to Work

Poverty

Low Disease Resistance

High Death Rate for Children

Shortened Life Expectancy

Effects of World Hunger

1. High Infant Mortality Rates Malnourished women are more likely to be sick,

have smaller babies, and die earlier Where infant and child mortality is high, birth rates

are also high

2. Vulnerability to Common Illnesses A malnourished child often lacks the strength to

survive any common illness

3. Increased Risk of Infection Weakened immune systems and inability to fight off

recurrent and lingering infections

Effects of World Hunger

4. Impediments to Physical Development Deprived essential proteins, micronutrients and fatty

acids they need to grow adequately – stunted growth, poor brain development

5. Impediments to Economic Growth Impacts educational levels, social services and

industrial development

6. Acute Vulnerability during Disasters Lack of supplies, resources, planning causes almost

immediate death

Considered Solutions

1. Creating More Cropland Urbanization Soil degradation Consider productivity of land

2. Using More Fertilizer Ground water contamination Cost Lack of effectiveness

Considered Solutions

3. Using More Pesticides Costs Harm humans Pest become immune

4. Genetically Modified Foods Seed control Additional costs Fewer jobs Human and environment threats