Ir al contenido

Hunger

The notion of hunger usually refers to the need or desire to eat: that is, to eat food.

Hunger, therefore, is the sensation that appears when a person needs or wants to consume food. It may be a physical need (the body already requires nutrients to have energy and stay healthy) or an appetite (the intention to eat, which is often linked to pleasure). The idea of ​​hunger can also refer to the lack of access to basic foods. In this sense, hunger implies a scarcity of food and, in this way, is associated with a wide range of health and development problems.


The hungry individual is malnourished or malnourished. This means that you ingest a smaller amount of protein and calories than your body needs. Therefore, his physical and intellectual development will be poor and his health will be affected by multiple disorders. Hunger can even lead to death.


The number of hungry people in the world increased to 828 million people in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 19), according to a United Nations report that provides new evidence showing that the world is moving away from its goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030.


It must be established that there are several causes that lead to hunger still existing in the world. Specifically, among the most significant we can highlight climate change, which is leading to areas where the land is absolutely sterile, as well as poverty and exclusion.


In the same way, wars and armed conflicts existing in different areas of the planet, speculation with food, having left aside agriculture in many cases and even totalitarianism are other reasons that cause hunger to continue in the world. It is important to know that the amount of food produced in the world is enough to feed the entire population. That is why the existence of hunger shows a political problem (food is not distributed appropriately) and a moral problem (since deaths from hunger are avoidable and yet are not avoided).


The figures paint a discouraging picture:


• Up to 828 million people have suffered from hunger in 2021: 46 million more people than the previous year and 150 million more than in 2019.


• After remaining relatively unchanged since 2015, the percentage of people affected by hunger skyrocketed in 2020 and continued to rise in 2021, reaching 9.8% of the world's population, up from 8% in 2019 and 9.3% in 2020.


• Around 2.3 billion people worldwide (29.3%) were moderately or severely food insecure in 2021, 350 million more people than before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. . Nearly 924 million people (11.7% of the world's population) faced severe levels of food insecurity, an increase of 207 million over a two-year period.


• The gender gap in food insecurity continued to widen in 2021: 31.9% of the world's women were moderately or severely food insecure, compared to 27.6% of men, a gap of more than 4 points, compared to the 3 percentage points recorded in 2020.


• In 2020, almost 3.1 billion people could not afford to maintain a healthy diet, 112 million more than in 2019, reflecting the effects of consumer food price inflation resulting from the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures adopted to contain it.


• An estimated 45 million children under five suffered from wasting, the deadliest form of malnutrition, increasing the risk of child mortality by up to 12 times. In addition, 149 million children under five years of age suffered from stunted growth and development due to chronic lack of essential nutrients in their diet, while 39 million were overweight.


• Progress is being made on exclusive breastfeeding, with almost 44% of babies under six months of age worldwide being exclusively breastfed in 2020. This remains far from the 50% target by 2030. A very worrying fact is that two out of every three children lack the minimum diverse diet they need to grow and develop fully.


• Looking ahead, almost 670 million people (8% of the world's population) are expected to remain hungry in 2030, even allowing for a global economic recovery. This is a similar figure to that of 2015, when the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition by the end of this decade was established within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

MALNUTRITION​

Malnutrition is a pathological state caused by lack of ingestion or absorption of nutrients. According to the severity of the condition, this disease can be divided into first, second and even third degree. Sometimes, the disorder can be mild and present, without symptoms, due to an inadequate or poorly balanced diet. However, there are other more serious cases, in which the consequences can be irreversible (even if the person is still alive), caused by digestive disorders and absorption problems.


Hunger numbers continue to increase, instead of minimizing

Hunger is a critical situation for many areas of the world, a mission that becomes almost impossible within the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. Until now, the mission was to reduce poverty figures, the reality is that this purpose continues being devastating.


“The world is moving backwards in the task of ending hunger”

The Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda establish what missions must be fulfilled to make this world a better place. One of the most worrying aspects is hunger and poverty, both with very high figures compared to other types of situations. So far, hunger numbers have not decreased, quite the opposite. The numbers continue to increase along with other figures related to climate change, natural crises or new wars and conflicts.

Fatigue, dizziness, fainting, absence of menstruation, poor growth in children, weight loss and a decrease in the body's immune response are some of the symptoms that can warn of possible malnutrition. 


This nutrition-related condition can usually be corrected by replacing missing nutrients and, if caused by a specific problem in the body, by appropriate treatment to counteract the nutritional deficiency. If it is not detected in time or the necessary medical attention is not received, malnutrition can cause disability, both mental and physical, illness and can even be fatal.


Malnutrition is, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the main cause of death of infants and young children in developing countries. Therefore, preventing this disease has become a priority for the World Health Organization (WHO). We must do what we can to help the millions of children born into poverty.

In more precise terms, it is possible to classify malnutrition into several types, taking into account different criteria. If we focus on the particular deficiencies of the affected individuals, then we can distinguish the following types:

  • caloric malnutrition: this concept is also known as marasmus and occurs in those people who eat food in insufficient quantities. This behavior, which is often the result of a lack of economic resources, has a negative impact on the growth of children, with characteristics such as excessive thinness or a lack of fatty tissue. Symptoms that are more difficult to identify or relate to this problem may also appear, such as poor performance in student or work activities, as well as abnormal fatigue;
  • Protein malnutrition: occurs in individuals who base their diet on a poorly balanced combination, in which carbohydrates usually predominate to the detriment of proteins. As a direct consequence, there is a lower resistance to infections, skin disorders, abdominal distension and liver diseases.

Another criterion that can be used to classify malnutrition is based on the relationship between the person's height and weight, so that we obtain the following types:

  • mild acute malnutrition: although the weight meets expectations, given the patient's age, his height does not reach the expected value;
  • moderate acute malnutrition: in this case, the weight is below normal for the patient's height;
  • severe acute malnutrition: not only is the weight below 30 percent of what is expected based on height, but some body functions are seriously compromised. It is a very serious problem, with a high risk of death;
  • lack of vitamins and minerals: the severity of this type of malnutrition is so high that the individual no longer has the necessary strength to carry out their daily activities because they feel tired. Furthermore, his lack of defenses opens the doors to a large number of infections and he cannot focus on basic learning processes.

The United Nations assured that “the world is moving backwards in the task of ending hunger.” Last 2021, more than 800 million people were in this situation, a figure that exceeds the data from the years before the pandemic, that is, hardly any positive changes have been experienced.


Some countries where hunger is concentrated each year are: India, Congo, Nigeria, Ethiopia, West, Central and East Africa, Bangladesh, South Asia and the Middle East. Together the figure reaches 2.3 billion people.


On the other hand, childhood also experiences a hard blow. The lack of access to basic nutrition conditions the lives of millions of children under five years of age, causing a delay in growth and development due to the lack of essential nutrients for their body such as iron or vitamins. Faced with this situation, around 39 million children are overweight. This makes it necessary to rethink the situation.

This situation will continue in the year 2030

Within the goals of the 2030 Agenda, the end of poverty is located at the top of the mountain. Given this, the UN predicts that around 670 million people will continue to suffer from hunger in 2030, even if an economic recovery is experienced worldwide. As we have mentioned, children usually bear the brunt. Added to this is food insecurity and malnutrition, a fateful combination that ends up increasing inequalities between different areas of the world.


Humanitarian aid does not reach the most affected areas of the world

International humanitarian aid has helped achieve the UN's goals, but it does not reach the data necessary to improve it. Of 100% of international aid, 60% of the money ends up being lost in different situations. For this reason, many organizations are committed to rescuing this situation that has no end. Even so, the forecasts do not establish a secure future in terms of access to food. The world is still lost and help has not yet arrived.

DRINKING WATER

Accessibility to water resources as a tool to minimize poverty

Drinking water, in this framework, is water suitable for consumption by humans. It is an odorless, tasteless and colorless liquid that can be drunk without limitations since it does not harm the body.


There are international regulations to analyze water and determine whether it is drinkable or not according to the minimum and maximum permitted quantities of minerals, particles, etc. At a general level, it is usually established that the pH of water intended for human consumption should be between 6.5 and 9.5.


The high presence of nitrites, arsenic and phosphate, for example, can make the water no longer drinkable. Likewise, if water harbors viruses, bacteria, radioactive components, suspended sediments, organic elements or toxic products, it cannot be drunk either.

Drinking water is the process that converts water into drinking water. It is possible to process the water of a river, a lake or a stream and, through various techniques (such as the application of ultraviolet rays or the addition of chlorine to eliminate contaminating substances), make it drinkable water.

Specifically, the task of water purification is based on several treatments such as the following:

-Prechlorination and flocculation. This process consists of adding chlorine to eliminate microorganisms that may exist in the water as well as other chemicals. In the same way, the so-called flocs will be formed.

-The decantation.

-Filtration, which consists of passing the water through certain filters in order to eliminate all the sand and other particles that it may have. The result will be that it will stop having a cloudy appearance.

-Chlorination and shipping to the network.


Taking into account the importance of drinking water for the well-being and health of human beings, health authorities usually present guides to help ensure that those in charge of managing it can ensure that it is in the best conditions and can be drink safely. These important documents at an international level include the microbiological, chemical or radiological parameters that must be present, as well as the safety plans that must be respected, the goals that must be achieved or the microbiological information sheets that must be used for the best control possible.


Access to drinking water is essential for life. When a person drinks water that is not safe to drink, or cooks with it, they run the risk of contracting all kinds of diseases.

Accessibility to water resources as a tool to minimize poverty

The most vulnerable people do not have water services and sometimes have to travel very long distances to obtain it, or pay 10 to 20 times more for it compared to their rich neighbors. Furthermore, the right to water is related to discrimination based on gender, age and social status.

More than 2 billion people in the world lack access to basic water and sanitation services, says the new UN global report on Water Resources Development.


In sub-Saharan Africa only 24% of people have access to drinking water and 28% to basic sanitation facilities, not shared with other households. Women and girls bear most of the burden of collecting water, spending more than 30 minutes a day doing it, which is detrimental to their education.


Furthermore, within countries in general, there are important differences in access, especially between rich and poor. In cities, the poor living in informal settlements without piped water services often pay 10 to 20 times more for water than their neighbors in wealthier neighborhoods, for a service of equal or lower quality provided by vendors or tankers.

Access to water is a human right vital to the dignity of all. However, billions of people remain deprived of it. 

Empiece con el cliente – descubra lo que quiere y déselo.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Sustainable agriculture is a concept that refers to agricultural practices that do not cause damage to the environment and that do not violate the rights of farmers and consumers. In this way, these activities make it possible to satisfy human needs while preserving natural resources and caring for people's quality of life.

Before moving forward, it is important to indicate that agriculture is the set of knowledge, techniques and procedures linked to crops. The action of cultivating, meanwhile, involves doing what is necessary to ensure that the land produces plants and that the plant species grow and multiply.

The adjective sustainable, on the other hand, qualifies something that can be maintained over time without causing serious environmental damage or leading to the depletion of the resources used.


Sustainable agriculture is one that resolves a requirement or covers a demand without putting at risk the current or future capacity that allows achieving said goals. Their actions are usually based on the functioning of ecosystems and seek to minimize the ecological impact.


It cannot be omitted to mention that agricultural activity always generates an environmental footprint. Common techniques and processes can lead to soil degradation or erosion, water scarcity, deforestation and other phenomena that contribute to climate change.


By avoiding or reducing these issues, sustainable agriculture helps food security and is key to the survival of humanity. Given the growth of the human population, it is essential that agricultural activity adopts these principles.

The history of the concept of sustainable agriculture dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, although at that time the notion was not called that way. The American Franklin Hiram King (1848–1911) is often mentioned as a pioneer in highlighting the advantages of traditional agricultural practices from the Asian continent that today would be part of what is known as organic agriculture.


King toured regions of Asia for nine months to research farming methods and techniques. His annotations were captured in a posthumous book – the last chapter of which was completed by his wife Carrie Baker King – titled “Farmers of Forty Centuries, or Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea and Japan”, which was published in 1911.


The person responsible for coining the notion of sustainable agriculture, however, was the Australian Gordon McClymont (1920–2000). He is responsible for the expression that began to become popular in the 1980s, when people began to become aware of the risk that the resources of planet Earth would at some point cease to be sufficient to feed the world's population.


It is understood that sustainable agriculture carries out sustainable water management, guarantees soil conservation and promotes the recycling of nutrients, for example. This preserves resources and, by extension, helps food availability.

It may seem strange that the idea of ​​sustainable agriculture has arisen from the fear that natural resources will not be able to satisfy the needs of humanity, when today millions of people suffer from hunger.


However, it is known that the world currently produces enough food to feed the entire global population. The existence of hunger, therefore, is due to poor distribution. This, in turn, is associated with the political and economic system: the food is there, but a large number of children and adults cannot access it.


Sustainable agriculture is aimed at guaranteeing that food production can be maintained at the pace that human beings need without depleting resources. To that end, it uses environmentally friendly methodologies.


In this framework, sustainable agriculture requires planning and recognizing limitations. The premise is not to degrade the land or ecosystems to promote sustainability.