Food Scarcity

Hunger and food scarcity are two problems that affect an enormous percentage of the world’s population. “The Scarcity Fallacy” by Stephen J. Scanlan, J. Craig Jenkins and Lindsey Peterson explains the many reasons for these issues, who are most likely to be affected, underlying causes of these problems, and possible solutions. There are currently more than one billion people affected by hunger in the world today, but this is not because there is not enough food to nourish everyone, but is largely because resources are being misused. Hunger is on the rise even though there is more food available per capita today than in any other time in history. The supermarket revolution has made food overpriced and unavailable to those in extreme poverty. Increase production has encouraged industries to use food in alternate ways, like bio-fuels, instead of feeding those in need. In low-income food deficit countries, poverty was found to be the main root of hunger, and children accounted for an alarming percent of those suffering from hunger. Gender inequality and food insecurity also go hand in hand. In some places women make up sixty percent of the hungry, even though they are responsible for up to eighty percent of the agriculture labor. In these places, women also do not have access to education or contraceptives, so they are unable to move up in income and also increase the population of hungry children. Many food aid programs are ineffective because they food is not allocated to those in the most need, and is often distributed to favored ethnic groups. Hunger relief programs have also become corrupt, and the food provided cheaply is taken and sold at much higher prices through the black market while inspectors are bribed to look the other way. Food provided at refugee camps is sometimes used as leverage in order to maintain control over the refugees. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, food is used as a weapon in the systematic rape of the female refugees. These issues cannot be ignored by the world. The authors believe that overcoming inequalities is the first step towards solving this problem. The hunger crisis is closely linked to politics, but those who distribute aid must ensure that it gets to those who need it most. Societal changes need to be made before world hunger can be eliminated.

I found this article surprising because who would have thought that hunger is not actually caused by a lack of available food. I did not realize how much food played a part in global politics, and I am shocked that more is not being done to ensure that food ends up in the right hands. I am appalled that food plays a part in the horrible crimes on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The crimes against women in the DRC were the subject of this year’s spotlight monologue in The Vagina Monologues, which told the story of a young girl who was kidnapped and became a sex slave. I would like to know why those who provide hunger aid are not doing more to prevent this. Is there a way to make the societal changes come about? How can women suffering from hunger gain more control over their food supply? The changes suggested by the article seem extremely difficult to overcome, but is there a feasible way to gain equality for women or solve the world’s hunger problem?