Food Issues Introduction.pptx

Food Issues In this unit … ▪ Basic Facts and definitions around hunger ▪ The cost of alleviating world hunger ▪ Developed vs. developing countries ▪ Causes of hunger ▪ Famine – causes, effects, and solutions Food Definitions Undernourishment - consumption of inadequate amounts of calories and...

Food Issues In this unit … ▪ Basic Facts and definitions around hunger ▪ The cost of alleviating world hunger ▪ Developed vs. developing countries ▪ Causes of hunger ▪ Famine – causes, effects, and solutions Food Definitions Undernourishment - consumption of inadequate amounts of calories and macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) usually over a long period of time. * * Note: undernourished mothers tend to give birth to low birth weight babies. Such babies stand a much greater chance of dying before their first birthday Malnourishment - deficiency of certain micronutrients (e.g. iron, vitamins A and C, iodine) which are essential for good health. * Note: Each year, 250,000 children lose their sight for the lack of a small amount of vitamin A in their diet Food Definitions Hunger - the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the physical need for food. Psychological hunger can occur, even if the body doesn’t require food (smells and talking of food can trigger this) Starvation - the severest form of malnutrition. Occurs when the body receives so little food that it breaks down its own cells for food energy. ▪ Every 3.6 seconds another person dies of starvation and 75% of them are children under the age of 5. *Source: United Nations Briefing Papers ▪ The estimated cost of alleviating income poverty and ending starvation is estimated at $80 billion, which is less than 0.5 % of global income ▪ By comparison, the global amount spent on military each year is over $1 trillion (the US spent $800 billion in 2020) *Source: United Nations Briefing Papers The Food Issue ▪ A good diet does not involve a quantity of food, but a quality of food……. Developed Nations We live to eat. ▪ Approximately 60% of the people living in developed nations are overweight or obese ▪ 1 billion people in developed countries have health issues as a result of poor eating habits ▪ Many people diet to maintain a specific weight. Depriving yourself of food is not healthy ▪ The U.S. spent $25,000,000 in 2010 on pet obesity Developing Nations They eat to live. ▪ One third of the people in developing nations are undernourished, having a lack of sufficient calories ▪ Symptoms of Malnutrition include: ▪ slow development (can’t tell age difference; 5 or 15) ▪ hair turns light in colour, then falls out (hair is protein) ▪ stomach swells - caused from swollen liver and/or disease called kwashiorkor - no muscle mass to use fluids properly) ▪ diarrhea - very little substance to excrete from body ▪ loss of muscle mass - bones showing through arms, legs, and ribs ▪ swollen joints and rough, dry, leathery skin What typical family eats in a week from around the world… European Union….. What typical family eats in a week from around the world… USA…. What typical family eats in a week from around the world… Mexico…. What typical family eats in a week from around the world… Egypt…. What typical family eats in a week from around the world… Ecuador…. What typical family eats in a week from around the world… Sub-Saharan African Refugee Camp…. ▪ Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of people who are starving, with poverty affecting 46.3 per cent or close to half of the region’s population. *Source: United Nations Briefing Papers CAUSES OF HUNGER SOCIAL FACTORS ▪ Increasing populations ▪ unwillingness of countries to address the problem ▪ social ranking (i.e. India - unofficial caste system) CAUSES OF HUNGER ECONOMIC FACTORS ▪ Access to markets ▪ Landlessness ▪ Absence of political land reforms in hungry nations which would give greater control over their lives and motivation to increase productivity CAUSES OF HUNGER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ▪ climate ▪ soil conditions ▪ arable land ▪ natural disasters ▪ flooding ▪ droughts ▪ environmental degradation ▪ ecological crisis CAUSES OF HUNGER POLITICAL FACTORS ▪ Colonial Legacy ▪ Political instability ▪ absence of international grain storage systems to draw on in times of crisis ▪ international debt ▪ Military expenditures ($1.46 trillion globally/year) The 10 Companies That Control All The Food You Buy Check this out! (site and 1:30 clip) CAUSES OF HUNGER TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS ▪ lack of knowledge (developed and developing countries) ▪ inadequacy and inappropriateness of some food and development aid given ▪ dependence on fertilizers ▪ mechanization difficulties ($$$) 1 billion! ▪ Nearly 1 billion people lack basic literacy skills ▪ More than 1 billion people do not have access to safe water ▪ Almost 1 billion people go hungry or face food insecurity ▪ About one-third of all children under five suffer from malnutrition. *Source: United Nations Briefing Papers How Big is 1 billion? ▪ There are 27,648 M&Ms per cubic foot. How much space would 1 billion M&Ms take up? 1 billion M&Ms would fill almost 3 full classrooms from floor to ceiling ▪ If you started at 1 and counted to 1 billion, counting 1 number each second, how long would it take? ▪ It would take 31 years. Famine Severe food shortage affecting ▪ Large geographic area ▪ Large number of people Famine: Causes ▪ War ▪ Civil conflict or social upheaval ▪ The failure of a harvest ▪ Drought, flood, wind, insect infestation, climate change ▪ Disruption or collapse of food distribution network ▪ Lack or disruption of an emergency food support system Geography of Famine ▪ Most likely to develop in areas with long dry periods followed by short rainy seasons. ▪ Two famine belts: ▪ Europe into Central Asia, and into N. China. ▪ Food production failures ▪ Mediterranean eastward through Southern Asia to China ▪ Drought and war (most recently) Consequences of Famine - “Why Should I Care?” ▪ Emigration ▪ Civil disturbances ▪ Infectious disease outbreaks (like cholera, COVID) ▪ Overcrowding ▪ ↓ Healthcare ▪ ↓ Quality of life Famine Relief ▪ Prevention and relief must be supported by national, regional and local governments ▪ Authorities need to obtain, transport, store safely and distribute fairly sufficient food for those in need Local Involvement It is crucial that the local government has a say in: ▪ Needs ▪ Supports required ▪ All decisions whenever possible Famine Relief ▪ Attention to those with the poorest nutritional status ▪ Foods normally consumed in the area ▪ Close to where the people live ▪ Reasonable primary health care ▪ Adequate monitoring systems (situations can change rapidly) Famine Relief Additional Challenges (see what life is like in the largest refugee c amps) ▪ Rationing ▪ Price controls ▪ Reduce or prevent hoarding ▪ Estimation of food needs ▪ Monitoring / surveillance Famine Prevention ▪ Global information and early warning system ▪ using technology like GIS to track potential climate patterns and food production ▪ Diversified economy ▪ Not relying only on subsistence farming ▪ Sustainable systems ▪ Agricultural ▪ Economic ▪ Political The End…