Food shortage: What is, causes and solutions

Food shortage is specifically Lack of access to sufficient, safe and nutritious foods to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

There are various reasons that can lead to food shortages. Among them are adverse climatic conditionssuch as droughts or floods, which affect agricultural production and crop availability. Also, factors such as pests and diseases They affect plants and animals can also decrease food supply.

There are many causes of hunger in the world. They feed and associate with each other. Among the most relevant issues, we can highlight the following:

• Poverty and exclusion: Poverty and social exclusion have become one of the main causes of hunger in the world. Almost one billion people survive with less than 1.25 euros a day, which translates into lack of food, decent housing and public services.
• Climate change: Phenomena such as water scarcity, desertification, land infertility, deforestation, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes create the so -called climatic refugees. According to the United Nations, about 250 million people are affected by climate change. This has a direct impact on hunger on the world.
• Armed conflict and displacement: The armed conflict has resulted in the massive displacement of the affected populations, forcing them to flee from violence, attacks and lack of resources to survive. These people arrived in strange countries and became refugees, losing the most basic rights.
• Natural Resources Exhaustion: Excessive exploitation of natural resources, such as groundwater, can exhaust essential water supplies for agriculture.
• Changes in consumption patterns: Changes in eating habits and consumption patterns can also affect food availability.

• Malnutrition and poor health: One of the most serious consequences of food shortages is malnutrition, both in terms of nutrient deficiencies and unsecured and little balanced diets.
• Hunger and acute malnutrition: Prolonged hunger can have devastating effects on people’s physical and mental health, and in extreme cases, it can lead to death.
• Social instability and conflicts: This situation can generate social tensions and discontent, especially when food distribution is unequal or insufficient to meet the basic needs of the population. This can lead to civil protests and disturbances, and even be an underlying cause of forced conflicts and migrations.
• Economic Impact: Sudden increases in food prices can increase life costs and reduce the purchasing power of the population, which in turn can trigger an economic deceleration and reduce general well -being.
• Displacement and migration: People who face difficulties in obtaining food and livelihoods in their places of origin may be forced to abandon their homes in search of better opportunities in other regions or countries.
• Loss of productivity and human development: Malnutrition and lack of access to adequate foods can negatively affect productivity and human development.
• Political instability: Food shortage can increase political instability and fragility of a country, especially if governments cannot effectively address the problem.

Thousands of public and private organizations are working with governments to implement a range of solutions to end hunger in the world. Among the most important we can highlight the following:

• Improvement of access to water and sanitation systems: Food and water are two elements that are intrinsically linked. The shortage of this vital liquid and food goes hand in hand. Therefore, basic water must be guaranteed to ensure access to food.
• Improvement of agricultural development and food access: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ensures that world agricultural production is sufficient to feed the population of the planet. However, so that they can access the product, this must be properly distributed.
• Prioritize education: Education is one of the main ways of guaranteeing food security. Therefore, children must have access to quality education to break the poverty cycle in societies with economic problems.
• Collaborate with science: Science works hand in hand to combat malnutrition and investigate new treatments that can help critical cases.
• Help raise awareness about problems: Another way to combat hunger in the world is to help educate others about the importance of taking immediate measures to avoid the consequences of hunger.
• Infrastructure development: Improving food transport and storage infrastructure can reduce post harvest losses and facilitate access to markets, ensuring that foods reach those who need them in a timely and efficient way.
• International cooperation and alliances: Cooperation between countries and international alliances is essential to address food shortages globally. Sharing knowledge, technologies and resources can help overcome challenges more effectively.

Now that you know what food shortages, its causes and their solutions are, you may also be interested in these articles on cross contamination: what it is and how to avoid it and the waste of food: causes, consequences and how to avoid it.

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