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Background on Hunger

The world produces more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet, but nearly 1 billion people around the world suffer from hunger. Read on how this issue is the greatest risk to health worldwide.

Hunger Causes

Poverty is the leading cause of hunger. One in four people in developing countries live on $1.25 a day or less.
Natural disasters like floods, tropical storms and droughts wipe out crops and cause super serious food shortages.
War moves thousands of people from their homes, leaving many without access to food supplies.
Many developing countries lack the tools and supplies needed to grow and transport their crops.
Rising temperatures are affecting crops and causing more droughts.

Malnutrition

People can become malnourished even if they eat. This happens when food does not have enough vitamins and minerals.
A third of people in developing countries are affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Not enough vitamin A can cause blindness and retardation in children.
Between 100 and 140 million children is vitamin A deficient.
Iodine deficiency in mothers during pregnancy can cause stillbirths and mental retardation. Fifty million people have mental impairment caused by a lack of iodine.

Hunger in the U.S.

Hunger in the U.S. is an issue of food insecurity.
Food insecurity is when a family does not have enough food because of a lack of money and other resources.
In the U.S., 35.5 million people live in food insecure households.
In 2011, 45 million people received food stamps. That is a 70 percent increase from 2007!
Kids suffering from hunger have higher levels of chronic illness, anxiety and depression than kids with no hunger.