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2-Hunger and Malnutrition

Chronic hunger affects over 800 million people globally and has particularly severe effects on children. The major causes of hunger and malnutrition discussed in the document include low income, diseases, poor nutrition practices, seasonal food production, and natural disasters. Potential solutions focus on increasing income, agricultural productivity, health improvements, and international cooperation.

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45 views

2-Hunger and Malnutrition

Chronic hunger affects over 800 million people globally and has particularly severe effects on children. The major causes of hunger and malnutrition discussed in the document include low income, diseases, poor nutrition practices, seasonal food production, and natural disasters. Potential solutions focus on increasing income, agricultural productivity, health improvements, and international cooperation.

Uploaded by

dimas
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Hunger and

Malnutrition
International Agricultural Development and Trade
AAEC 3204

George Norton
Agricultural and Applied
Economics,
Virginia Tech
Copyright 2009
Objectives

• Discuss world food situation


and nutrition issues
– Types of hunger and their effects
– Consider how hunger is measured
– Identify causes of hunger
– Indicate potential solutions to hunger
problems
Major types of hunger?

Famine (short term)

Chronic (800
million people)
Chronic undernourishment Number
(1999-2001) Percent (millions)
Asia and Pacific 16 505
Sub-Saharan Africa 33 198
Latin America & Caribbean 10 53
Near East and N. Africa 10 41
Countries in transition 8 34
(E. Europe and Central
Asia)
All regions 17 805

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in 2004


IFPRI 2020
Effects of Hunger

Child in Niger

Child in India
Which is more severe
in most developing countries:

the shortage of food?

or the imbalance of calories and


protein in the diet?
Daily calorie availability per capita

Source: World Bank


People affected by Preventable
Malnutrition Worldwide
Morbidity due Estimated
to Prevalence of Group most
Deficiency
Malnutrition Morbidity affected
Protein and
energy Underweight 150,000,000 Children
Protein and Stunted
energy growth 182,000,000 Children
Every age and
Iron Anemia 2,000,000,000 sex
250,000 - Every age and
Vitamin A Blindness 500,000 sex
Every age and
Iodine Brain damage 50,000,000 sex
How is nutritional adequacy
measured?

• Anthropometric
measurements
• Food balance sheets
• Dietary surveys
• Aggregate statistics
Food Balance Sheet
• (Production & Stocks & Imports
–Exports – Animal feed – Waste)
= Food available for people
What are some principal
causes of hunger and
malnutrition?

Child in Ethiopia
What are some principal causes
of hunger and malnutrition?

• Low income • Political problems


• Diseases and • Natural disasters
parasites • Low agricultural
• Poor nutritional productivity
practices • Transportation
• Seasonal nature of problems
production
Determinants of individual nutritional status.

Ownership of
productive assets

Agricultural Primary health care;


Incomes sanitary conditions
prices

Household food Cooking technology


availability and education

Individual Intra-household Infections and


nutrient intake food distribution diseases

Nutritional
status
How does environmental
degradation contribute to hunger
and malnutrition?

How does hunger and


malnutrition contribute to
environmental degradation?
Solutions to hunger and
malnutrition problems
• Income increases • Food
• Agricultural intervention
productivity – Subsidies
increases – Fortification
– Targeted feeding
• Population growth programs
rate decline
• International
• Health solutions
improvements – Debt relief
– Price stabilization
– Foreign aid
If we ate less meat would that
help the nutritional situation in
developing countries?

food
income to buy
problem is lack of
The principal
Very little if any.
Summary
• Chronic hunger is the most
pervasive problem -- 900 million
• Effects are particularly hard on
children
• Causes are many and solutions are
the subject of this course

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