MFBN ~ Educational Research

Root Causes of Hunger
POVERTY	In developing countries 1.3 billion people live in absolute poverty (equal to the entire population of China). Their individual purchasing power is equivalent to less than one (1) U.S. dollar a day. In the United States 38 million people lived in poverty (more than the entire population of California).

Powerlessness	Hungry people often lack the power to change their circumstances. Children and elderly are especially vulnerable. Governments worldwide tend to maintain policies and services which benefit well-off people at the expense of those who are hungry.

Racial, ethnic & Gender Discrimination	Contribute to hunger. For example, in Guatemala, 75% of Indian children are seriously malnourished and compared to one in three of all Guatemalan Children. Seventy percent of absolutely poor people are female. Inequality in labor markets, ill treatment in social welfare systems, and lower status in the family all play a part.

Population, Consumption Environment	Thirty-four percent of the world's population uses more than 87% of the world's gross national product. That leaves two-thirds of the world's population with only 13% of the world's output.

Violence & Militarism	Conflict destroys crops, takes labor and other resources out of food production, and often turns food into a weapon of war. Tens of millions of land mines sown on farmland make it impossible to safely resume agriculture even after the violence ends.

Root Causes of Hunger