World Hunger Fred Boadu, PhD; J.D. (Law) Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station

Outline Basic Definitions Overview – The facts The Location of the Hungry Overview – The facts Grain Production and Demand - 2020 Factors influencing Food Supply Land, Labor, Capital, Technology Other Supply Shifters Factors influencing Food Demand Income, Price Role of Institutions Government, International Organizations Conclusions Millennium Development Goals, Indicators

Basic Definitions Malnutrition is a general term that indicates a lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health. (Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia). Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is by far the most lethal form of malnutrition/hunger and the one referred to when world hunger is referred to. Children are its most visible victims. Malnutrition plays a role in at least half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year (FAO, 2002). Food Insecurity is when people must live with hunger and fear of starvation (FAO).

Regional Proportions Child Malnutrition Undernourishment

Grain Production and Demand - 2020 Overview – The Facts Over 800 million people go to bed hungry each night; most of them are women and children, World Food Programme (WFP). Grain Production and Demand - 2020

Table 1: Growth Rates of Population and Total Cereal Demand, 1967 - 1997

Table 2: Per Capita Cereal Production and Annual Growth Rates in Developing-country Regions, 1967-1997

Table 3: Per Capita Meat Demand 1967 and 1997

Households, Firms, and Hunger Some Microeconomics Households, Firms, and Hunger

Factors Influencing Food Demand Income Per Capita Income Price Other Demand Shifters Population Household Size Household Expenditure

Table 4: Population and Per Capita GDP 1967 and 2020

Table 4: Population and Per Capita GDP 1967 and 2020 Contd.

Table 5: People Living on Less Than $1 and $2 a Day Since 1990 and Projected to 2015  

Table 6: Income Demand Elasticities, 1967 and 2020

Factors Influencing Food Supply Land Labor Capital Technology Other Supply Shifters Land rights and ownership Diversion of land use to non-productive use Price Inefficient agricultural practices Governance Lack of Democracy and Rights Politics Conflict, Drought, Famine

Table 11: Total Projected Investments, Baseline Scenario, 1997-2020

Supply Shifters Poverty is the principal cause of hunger. “There are 1.2 billion poor people in developing countries who live on $1 a day or less. Progress in poverty reduction has been concentrated in Asia, and especially, East Asia. In all the other regions, the number of people in extreme poverty has increased. In sub-Saharan Africa, there were 58 million more poor people in 1999 than in 1990 (Food and Agriculture Organization – FAO, 2002).” Hunger is also a cause of poverty. By leading to such effects as poor health, low levels of energy, and even mental impairment, hunger can lead to even greater poverty (FAO 2002). Conflict as a cause of hunger. “Worldwide, there were some 21.5 million refugees and displaced persons in 1999– largely as a result of wars, political turbulence, civil conflict and social unrest (e.g. Afghanistan, the Balkans, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, East Timor, Somalia and Sudan). In such emergencies, malnutrition runs rampant, exponentially increasing the risk of disease and death (World Health Organization 2002).”

Factors affecting Food Shortages

Role of Institutions Government International Organizations Freedom and Democracy Intellectual Property Rights Patents – World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) International Organizations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) World and Food Programme (WFP) World Bank World Health Organization (WHO) Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) – IITA, CIMMYT, IFPRI, ILRI etc.

Table 12: Annual Freedom in the World Country Scores, 2000-2001: Africa

Conclusion Millennium Development Goals Indicators Goal 1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. Target 2: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Indicators Proportion of population below $1 a day a National poverty headcount ratio* Poverty gap ratio at $1 a day (incidence x depth of poverty) Share of poorest quintile in national consumption Prevalence of underweight in children (under five years of age) Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption Source: http://www.developmentgoals.org/About_the_goals.htm

Table 13: Progress Toward the Poverty Goal and Projections to 2015