Hunger and Poverty Around the World

World hunger is primarily due to an unfair distribution of land and power. Richer countries control a large portion of the land, and these countries seek to use land in underdeveloped nations, as well. Waste is a contributing factor to the world food shortage problem, according to Global Issues.org. This makes sense, when we think about the laws and regulations in the United States that force restaurants to throw away food for specific reasons. This problem does not only rest within food services businesses. Individuals throw away food, too. Food that is grown in fields is wasted due to insect infestations and diseases. Land is often monopolized by the wealthy, and those who control the land, control the food.

Degradation of Land

Good land is often degraded when it is used for purposes other than growing food. A high number of developments in an area and growing non-food products can waste land that should be used to grow food in areas that need it the most. Sometimes land is used for purposes that harm people rather than help them. Crops that are used for drugs and tobacco are extremely harmful. Land that could effectively grow food is also used for coffee crops, and flowers, according to Global Issues.org. These items are primarily sold to industrialized countries. Deforestation is a huge concern in the Caribbean and Latin America, reports the Natural Resources Defense Council. Pesticides and coffee crops further damage the land. When people buy a cup of coffee, they probably don’t think about the chemicals that have been sprayed on the crops to reduce the pests and weeds that come along with the crop. They probably do not give a second thought about the food that could have been gown in place of the coffee.  Although it is true that people who live around the land do sometimes earn money from the jobs associated with these crops, they also have to deal with the backlash of ills from using unhealthful standards (chemicals) to grow certain items. Tobacco itself causes a chain of health problems that easily negate the money funneled into the area that grows it.

Growing Crops and Grazing Animals

The land could be better used if more land was used for growing crops instead of grazing animals. Global Issues reports on the astounding amount of water that is used for a pound of beef -- 2,500 gallons is used for beef, versus the relatively small amount of water needed to water crops. All of these issues and others come into play to feed the problem of poverty around the world. Using valuable resources for purposes other than growing food, wasteful behavior, and the demand for luxury items for industrialized nations are also at the root of the problem.

Poor Allocation of Resources

Resources are simply not being allocated properly, so there are workers who toil in fields that they do not own, and they cannot begin to purchase the items that are grown in the fields. Workers are making below a livable wage and money is being poured into activities that could cause further harm to the environment and health and citizens worldwide. There are several different forces that result in poverty around the world.

References

National Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org/health/farming/ccc/chap4.asp

Global Issues: http://www.globalissues.org/article/7/causes-of-hunger-are-related-to-poverty

C. Williams is a freelance writer who writes about a variety of social and technical topics, including those that relate to how homeless shelter software can assist others.