Hunger is an issue that is much more widespread than what most people think. It’s not just affecting the “starving kids in Africa,” it is a real international issue that hundred of millions of people face every day. In this case, hunger is defined as the scarcity of food in a country. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 795 million of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in every nine, were suffering from hunger in 2014-2016.
The world produces enough food to feed the entire population of people, but due to the extremely unequal income distribution in the world, those who do not have land to grow food or money to purchase it go hungry. In the hungriest countries, families struggle to get the food they need due to lack of infrastructure such as roads, over dependence on agriculture, and frequent war and displacement. The vast majority of hungry people live in developing countries, with over 550 million in Asia and 227 million malnourished people living in Sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of proper nutrition affects every stage of life, trapping people in a cycle that passes hunger from one generation to the next. Infants and children suffer stunted physical and mental development, affecting their potential to work and get an education. Families unable to access food and medicine are then not able to support a healthy family.
Despite the United States being among the most developed countries in the world, one in six people in America are hungry. Food insecurity is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for all household members, and it exists in every single county in America. In recent years, more and more people have been relying on food banks and pantries. This is due to the prevalence of poverty in the country and most certainly not because of a lack of food. According to the National Resources Defense Council, 40 percent of food is thrown out every year–enough to feed 25 million Americans.
With so many people hungry in every county, it is important that people help to end this preventable problem. Two people in our community have both taken steps to reduce hunger, both within the Quad Cities and globally. English teacher Mrs. Lux advised the Spartan Assembly on how best to bring the most cans and money to donate to the community. “The mission was to get the student body in community events… I motivate students and teachers to get involved.” Lux encouraged people to donate to local food pantries like the Bettendorf Community Center.
Senior Emily Suen recently participated in the Global Youth Institute, a three-day conference in which people selected students from around the world interact with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates. The students present a research paper about a specific threat to food security in a selected country and proposals to combat the issue. “I wanted to participate in the Global Youth Institute because everyone has the moral right to food. Everyone has the basic right to nutrition, and ensuring that everyone is guaranteed this right is in the best interest of everyone,” said Suen.
It is important for as many people as possible donate to local food pantries since there are people in our community and our own school that face hunger. The Hunger Drive at Pleasant Valley ended on Nov. 10, but donations shouldn’t stop there. “The important thing to remember is that hunger never ends,” said Lux. There are local and global organizations that battle hunger every day, and more citizens should stand up and do the same.
