Poverty, Development, and Hunger Chapter 29 Poverty, Development, and Hunger Deng Lihua (ID00503)

Introduction traditional International Relations theory neglected the challenge of global underdevelopment, and it focused more on issues relating to conflict between states. Poverty, hunger, and disease remain widespread, the economic gap between rich and poor states and people has been increasing. This chapter examines the orthodoxy mainstream understanding of poverty, development, and hunger, and contrast this with a critical alternative approach.

Poverty orthodox conception of poverty poverty is interpreted as a condition suffered by people—who do not earn enough money to satisfy their basic material requirements in the market-place. developed country advocate further integration of global economy in order to overcome global poverty. critical alternative view of poverty Critical alternative view of poverty does not put emphasis on money, but on spiritual values, community ties, and availability of common resources.

Development Economic liberalism and the post-1945 international economic order The achievements of the post-1945 international economic order Assessment of the post-war international economic order —— orthodox approach vs. critical alternative approach A critical alternative view of development The orthodoxy incorporates criticisms

Economic liberalism and the post-1945 international economic order IMF, World Bank, and GATT was established since 1945 in order to set up a liberal international economic order. These 3 institutional pillars provide the foundations of a liberal international economic order based on the pursuit of free trade, but allowing an appropriate role for the state intervention in the market in support of national security and national and global stability. This has been called embedded liberalism. The cold war stimulated competition between the West and East to win allies in the developing world. Most of the latter were born into the Western international economy

The achievements of the post-1945 international economic order Progress was achieved up to the 1980s according to the orthodox development criteria of GDP per capita, economic growth, and industrialization.

Per capita and total GDP growth rates in the South between 1960 and 1987

The achievements of the post-1945 international economic order Despite significant improvements in global social indicators such as adult literacy, access to safe water, and infant mortality rates, global deprivation continues.

(living on less than $ 1 a day) Child mortality (under 5s deaths) Income poverty (living on less than $ 1 a day) Access to water (people without access to improved water) EA+P East Asia & the Pacific CEE+CIS Central & Eastern Europe & the Commonwealth of Independent States SA South Asia LA +C Latin America & the Caribbean SSA Sub-Saharan African AS Arab States

Gender equality (primary age girls not enrolled in school) EA+P East Asia & the Pacific CEE+CIS Central & Eastern Europe & the Commonwealth of Independent States SA South Asia LA +C Latin America & the Caribbean SSA Sub-Saharan African AS Arab States Access to sanitation

Assessment of the post-war international economic order — orthodox approach vs. critical alternative approach critical alternative assessment Despite impressive rate of growth in GDP per capita enjoyed by developing countries, this success was not reflected in their societies at large, and while a minority became substantially wealthier, the mass of the population saw no significant change. orthodox assessment Although it acknowledges that neo-liberal economic policy has result in greater inequalities within and between states, it does not regard this as a problem so long as the social and political discontent which inequality engenders is not so extensive as to derail implementation of the project itself.

A critical alternative view of development The alternative conception of development argued that the process of development should be: need-oriented, endogenous, self-reliant, ecologically sound, and based on structural transformation. Grassroots movements are playing an important role in challenging entrenched structures of power in formal democratic societies.

The orthodoxy incorporates criticisms The development orthodoxy remains essentially unchanged. However, the mainstream debate has shifted from growth to sustainable development Voices of criticism are growing in number and range. Supporter of globalization are keen to temper its most unpopular effects by modification of neo-liberal policies. Small but nevertheless important changes are taking place.

Hunger A Paradox ? In recent decades, despite the enormous increase in food production per capita, hunger and malnourishment remain widespread.

Hunger (1) Orthodox view— nature-focused approach which identifies the problem largely as one of overpopulation continuation of hunger is that population growth outstrips food production. Thomas Robert Malthus assert that, population growth naturally outstrips the growth in food production, so that a decrease in the per capita availability of food is inevitable.

Hunger (2) Alternative view — society-focused approach, which sees the problem more in terms of distribution. An alternative explanation for the continuation of hunger focuses on lack of access or entitlement to available food. Access and entitlement are affected by factors such as the North-South global divide; particular national policies; rural-urban divides; class; gender; and race.

Hunger (3) Globalization and Hunger Globalization can simultaneously contribute to increased food production and increased hunger. - Now we are witnessing an increasingly global organization of food provision and of access to food, with transnational corporations playing the major role. - the post-war, US-dominated, global food regime has had a number of unforeseen consequences as the following:

Hunger First, the domestic production of food staples in developing countries was disrupted. Second, consumer prefer the cheap USA imports. Third, there has been a stress on cash-crop production.

Conclusion poverty development Hunger Orthodox approach Critical alternative approach Unfulfilled material needs Unfulfilled material and non-material needs The possibility of unlimited economic growth in a free-market system. Diverse paths, locally driven Not enough food to go around everyone There is enough food, the problem is distribution and entitlement

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