Global Issue

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Malnourishment and Hunger
Background
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Currently there are 795 million people who do not
have enough to eat.
Long-term success to ending world hunger starts
with ending poverty.
With fighting poverty through proper training for
employment, education and the teaching of cooking and
gardening skills, people who are suffering will be more
likely to get jobs, earn enough money to buy food and
even learn how to make their own food to save money
Background
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There is enough food in the world to go around but
almost a billion people go hungry every day and a
further billion people are undernourished – not getting
enough of the vitamins and minerals they need to live
healthy and productive lives.
By 2050 the world will have another 2 billion
mouths to feed. Changing consumption patterns,
climate change and growing numbers of shocks, such
as drought, price rises and conflict, are increasing the
risk of hunger in many places in the world.
Background
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Without enough to eat, people in developing countries
can’t even begin to work their way out of poverty. For children
especially, being hungry or malnourished means they can die
from common infections or suffer poor health in the long run –
limiting their ability to learn in school, work or progress. 165
million children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition.
We must respond to these challenges in a sustainable
way, making sure food is fairly distributed, helping people
access nutritious diets and avoiding damage to the environment
that would put future generations at risk.
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The General Analysis section provides a broad range of
articles and documents on hunger and food issues.
The Emergency Food Relief System addresses the
most acute food crises that arise from war, natural disasters and
famine. Coordinated by the United Nations, with the World
Food Program as the top provider, the system accomplishes
much. But it falls tragically short, at a time of rising need. Food
assistance often arrives too little and too late. Donor countries
like to dump subsidized agricultural surpluses, damaging small
producers in recipient areas.
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The globalized Trade and Food Production
System leads to increased industrial agriculture and
contributes to speculation in agricultural commodities. It
pushes small farmers into monocrop production,
reducing local food security. Biofuels have diverted very
large quantities of land and production away from basic
food crops.
The system of agricultural Land Ownership has
grown steadily more unequal, as financial pressures
concentrate landholdings.
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An international policy process, coordinated by the
United Nations, has been considering systemic reforms. Major
meetings in Rome in late 2009 made modest progress. But
much remains to be done to achieve real food security and
sustainable production. Control over land and inceasingly-
scarce water are key issues. A vigorous alliance of NGOs,
agronomists and food producers has been pressing for
progressive change. Opposing them are the
large agribusiness companies, like Monsanto, Cargill,
McDonalds and ConAgra -- companies that now dominate food
policy, reign over the production chain and shape the entire
world's food system.
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Experts agree that a whole host of measures is

needed to break the cycle of malnutrition and poverty, if
there is any hope of turning a hunger for food into a
hunger for education.
Access to clean water, proper sanitation, health
care and routine inoculation are all important factors in
that process.
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"Educating parents, training teachers and
establishing schools that take into account children's
needs in rural areas, must all go hand in hand," Rudi
Tarneden from UNICEF Germany explained, pointing to
the organization's "Schools for Africa" project.
Ideally, of course, children should grow up in an
environment that is free of conflicts and civil wars.
Millions of children not only live in poverty, but in
constant fear for their lives.
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Educating mothers
Women who have suffered from malnutrition when they
were children are more likely to give birth to malnourished
babies, exacerbating the problem. Aid organizations therefore
emphasize that it is essential to help mothers and provide them
with all the information and training they need.
A political challenge
All that costs money, of course - money that some
countries do not have. But others do have the funds, which is
why aid organizations call on their governments to make the
fight against malnutrition a priority.
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Seven ways schools can play a crucial role in tackling
malnutrition, improving diets and developing good, life-long
healthy eating habits:
1. Schools reach children at an age when their food habits
are being formed, when they are open to new ideas and they
learn good practices and new skills effortlessly.
2. School gardens are a learning platform to promote
better nutrition, develop life skills and increase environmental
awareness. Growing and preparing garden food at school,
combined with nutrition education, increases children’s
preferences for fruits and vegetables.
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3. Schools can establish and enforce school
policies and practices – for example rules about
handwashing – that can improve health and nutrition.
4. Healthy meals and snacks in schools improves
children’s health and nutritional well-being, enabling
them to grow well and learn well. When combined with
nutrition education, school food can directly improve
student’s health and nutrition while helping them
develop good eating habits.
 5.z Qualified personnel can teach and guide
children, linking food and nutrition education with other
subjects (e.g. science) and fun activities. Learning
activities can involve games, role-plays, experiments,
talks, presentations etc.
6. By involving families in their children’s nutrition
education and by spurring community participation, e.g.
via school garden projects or school canteens, there
may be a ripple effect, benefitting a wide range of
people.
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7. Schools feeding programmes can provide cost-effective

nutrition interventions, as well as opportunities to practice
healthy eating habits and food safety. In food insecure
communities, these programmes help fight malnutrition and
help keep children in school. They can also improve incomes
and food security of local communities when locally produced
foods are supplied to the school.
Good nutrition education helps children to become
“nutritionally literate”. They are informed about the value of
nutritious foods, how it can be prepared and make it appetizing!