Global Food Scarcity
By Gwendolyn Morgan
The scarcity of food has been brought to people's attention for many years. People in certain countries are scared that there won't be enough food to put on the table while others have too much stalked in their cupboards and refrigerators. It is said that there is enough food to go around, that everyone could have an equal share, but clearly this is not the case. There are some countries that have more than enough while others need more in order to survive. This webpage will focus on the threats of food scarcity that some countries face, if food scarcity affects Canada, and how both Canada and worldwide are helping to decrease the amount of food scarcity and hunger there is around the world.
A True Definition
What is World Hunger?
World hunger refers to the want or scarcity of food in a country. People can suffer from either malnutrition or undernutrition, which are both effects of people not having enough food. The two types of malnutrition are protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. The type that is referred to when speaking about world hunger and food scarcity is protein-energy malnutrition. It is specific to having a lack of protein and calories. A proper amount of calories and protein in your diet are important and essential to the body. With a lack of these essentials it could lead to growth failure. The two types of growth failure are wasting and nutritional edema. Wasting is when someone suffers rapid weight loss which in severe cases can result in death. Nutritional edema is caused by not enough protein in your diet.
Who Does this Affect?
What is the Cause?
Children and Food Scarcity
Undernutrition is very visible in children. In 2013, Black et al estimated that 3.1 million child deaths were caused by nutritional diseases such as, stunting, wasting, fetal growth restriction and deficiancies in vitamins. Undernutrition can give a child a higher chance and a greater affect in these diseases.
Stunting is a term used to measure children's nutritional status and it is helpful in indicating the amount of malnutrition in a given country. It is a slow process and is caused by a low intake of nutrients. Stunted children will look younger than their actual age but still have normal body proportions. UNICEF estimates that 39% of children are stunted in the developing world. That is a total of 209 million children. It is a shame that children are such major victims of world hunger and food scarcity.