World Food Needs Food Technology Chapter 27

Objectives  Discuss the effects of hunger and malnutrition  Discuss the impact of hunger world wide  Discuss possible causes of world hunger  Explain the role of technology in eliminating hunger

World Food Needs  World hunger is a serious problem with no simple solution  About 925 million people are hungry  All of world’s undernourished are gathered in one place

World Hunger Needs  Each year people die from hunger or problems caused by hunger  Many of these are children under the ages of 5 (estimated 5 million children)

World Food Hunger and Malnutrition  Hunger usually means malnutrition, undernutrition, or famine  Undernutrition means a person does not get enough food to have a healthy life

World Food Hunger and Malnutrition  Malnutrition implies that a person eats but does not receive the amounts of nutrition needed to keep the body healthy

World Food Hunger and Malnutrition  Hunger causes serious physical injury to the body (i.e. brain damage)  The effects of hunger on children are classified as stunting, underweight, and wasting

World Food Hunger and Malnutrition  Undernutrition occurs on a seasonal basis  In developing countries, the time before harvest is difficult  Many people who suffer from hunger live in rural areas of developing countries

World Food Hunger and Malnutrition  Most of the world’s malnourished people live in: Developed Countries (19 million) Near East and North Africa (37 million) Latin America and the Caribbean (53 million) Sub-Saharan Africa (239 million) Asia and the Pacific (578 million)

Causes of Hunger  Four common misconceptions about the causes of hunger include the following: Not enough food is available The population is too large Governments cause hunger Foreign aid help eliminate

Not Enough Food Available to Feed Everyone  Enough food is produce to feed everyone  Other conditions affect how food is produced and distributed  Enough grain is produced to give every man, woman, and child 2 pounds each day

Not Enough Food is available to Feed Everyone  Two pounds of grain can provide 3,000 calories  Most every country in the world has the resources to rid the country of hunger  Production is not the problem poverty is  Poor weather conditions

The Population is Too Large  Total world population is not as important as the location of the people  People in poor countries tend to have many children  Most depend of the children to take care of them when they get old

Governments Cause Hunger  The government is just one part of who controls the country  Other agencies or organizations that control the country are: Multinational corporations, international agencies, and other governments

Foreign Aid Helps Eliminate Hunger  The US and other countries send large quantities of food to hungry people  Much of the food never reaches the people  Only provides temporary relief  Because food is free and available they start to depend on it

Seven-Step Plan Against Hunger  Step 1 – More Self-Sufficiency  Step 2 – Check Farming Regulations  Step 3 – Proper Storage  Step 4 – Check Food Aid  Step 5 – Work Together  Step 6 – Prevent Waste  Step 7 – Pay off Debt

Roles of Technology  To alleviate hunger, technology research in the following areas should receive high priority: Improving the application of technology to natural resource management Protection of crops without heavy reliance on pesticides

Roles of Technology Genetic improvement of key crops Global action to advance scientific knowledge and its application

Protection of Crops  Important progress is being made toward the protection of crops  Less toxic chemicals and more efficient methods of application have been developed

Protection of Crops  Plant breeding allows the introduction of host-plant resistance  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) being used by farmers

Genetic Improvement  Plant breeding is the cornerstone of yield- increasing technology  Plant breeding must improve nutritional quality of the food  Also help overcome stresses crops face