World
Issues 120
Hunger
The Solution
Reaction/Reflection
Canadian Perspective
The Problem
Though we may choose to believe that all may live the fabulous lives that we enjoy, the harsh reality is that just under 1 billion people go to bed hungry every night. This fact comes although we produce more than enough foor to feed every single person in the world. The problem is not a lack of food, but rather those who need the food most cannot access it. This undernourishment leads to some not having the energy they need to live an active life. Constant hunger weakens the immune system and makes people more vulnerable to diseases. The issue particularly with undernourished children is that they may develop slower, both mentally and physically.
It is inevitable that hunger will continue to be a major problem all of the time when there are life forms on Earth. Charles Darwin's theory of Natural Selection is applicable because only the strongest are fit for survival, and by any means, if one is able to hunt for itself and it's family, then by Darwinism, they are most fit for life. However, this is not the clear issue. To be human, is it help others in need and as humans, we need to help out by volunteering at local food banks. Also, during the holidays, there is an enormous demand for food, so if the young population of the world helped out during these tough times for these families, it will provide joy. On another note, hunger as a problem on the global scale, can be solved by countries providing countries in need with cheap resources and goods. If countries can neglect their greed for power, and spread their resources with countries who desperately demand it, then we can erradicate world hunger.
In Canada, hunger is not seen as a threat by many, however, it is a prevalant factor in our society. Unbeknownst to many close to 850,000 Canadians are assisted by food banks, and 36.4% of those helped are children and youth. With those kinds of numbers, hunger should be considered more lethal than it currently is. Canadian's are fortunate in that there are food banks to turn to when in dire need, however, it is crucial that Canada aids those not simply within its borders but those everywhere as hunger is a global crisis.
The issue of hunger could be solved or improved greatly simply by raising the incomes of the poor by helping them to earn a better livelihood. As well, easier access must be made for those who live in rural areas to get food, this being that these areas hold roughly 70% of those living undernourished. To feed each of the 66 million school children who go to school hungry each day would cost only 3.2 billion USD. Just to put that in perspective, the United State spends $555 billion on its military.
