The Reasons and Solutions for Global and National Hunger

Hunger can be defined as a feeling of discomfort or weakness that you get when you need something to eat. Everyone feels hungry and most people are able to satisfy their craving. Hunger is also defined as a severe lack of food which causes suffering or death. People who suffer chronic hunger do not have that luxury or option to fulfill that need or essential. Anybody can experience hunger at any time, but certain groups and people living under certain conditions are at risk. The world produces enough to feed the entire global population of 7 billion people. And yet one in eight persons goes hungry each night. This is very sad, and I did not realize how many people go hungry. While there are many reasons for global hunger, I believe one of the major reasons that there is a hunger problem is poverty.

Natural disasters like floods, drought, storms or wild fires can cause food shortages. When these natural disasters occur in developing countries, it affects farmland and food resources. War is also an issue that contributes to hunger. This type of conflict wreaks havoc on land and food. Families are often displaced without the capability to feed themselves or their families. Land, livestock and markets that produce food resources are destroyed as a means of making the other side suffer and starve and eventually have to surrender. I believe that the natural disaster issues that are not avoidable and sometimes take a long time to recuperate from.

Poverty is a major issue alone but I also feel that it is the main cause if global hunger. Those living in poverty face hunger as they cannot afford food for themselves or their families. If they cannot feed themselves, they become malnourished and weak and unable to work. This makes them weaker both physically and mentally, so they are less able to earn the money that would help them escape poverty and hunger.

Job instability is another reason for hunger without having a steady income or work; people are unable to provide for themselves and their families. People lose their jobs and cannot find work, sometimes the pay is not high enough to sustain a lifestyle and people cannot work because of child care issues. Hunger cannot be connected to the availability of food but to the access of food. Some do not have the land to grow food to supply for them and earn little income from what they sell and cannot afford to purchase food from other sources once their own supply runs out.

If the governments in the developing countries can help assist by investing in small farmers keep their farms continually abundant, this could potentially help food shortage and income. I think that we can help to reduce hunger by donating food and government assistance with education. It is important to have an education in order to be able to earn a decent income to be able to provide food for your family. As I stated earlier, my mother did grow up poor in shelters and family homes. There were times when she did not know when her next meal was going to be. Both of her parents had a grammar school level of education and did not have jobs that paid enough to support a family. I could only imagine the terrible feeling that must be.

I think hunger is going to be an issue for a long time. Every year the cost of basically everything goes up and employment opportunities are not available for everyone. I do the best that I can to donate food and clothing. A couple of years in a row I have participated in a bake sale at a local bank to end childhood hunger. I donate food at work and at local town charities for homeless shelters. I can only hope that this dilemma is greatly reduced in the future.

Works Cited

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