As we can see from the above map provided by the WFP, most countries with the highest hunger rates lie in the continent of Africa. This also corresponds to the lack of food availability in the area due to inhospitable climate, regional conflict, and natural barriers such as pests, among others. However, it is mistaken to assume that hunger lies only in Africa; as previously mentioned, there is actually more of the hungry in Asia than in Africa, this holding true due to the fact that around half of the world’s population is concentrated in Asia. This is shown in the following chart prepared by the FAO.
As previously mentioned, development is often quantified through two main measures, the Human Development Index and the Gini coefficient.
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It has been combating world hunger and providing emergency humanitarian aid in places of conflict since 1961. The WFP has many programs aimed at halving hunger, one of the Millenium Development Goals of the United Nations set to be achieved by 2015. One of their many programs, is the Purchase for Progress program. This program essentially buys harvests from farmers at a guaranteed price, and then helps them market the products. As a result, farmers who are guaranteed by the WFP now have the capability to take out loans, as their guaranteed harvests can be put up as collateral. Therefore, they can now operate businesses free of much financial pressure, as that pressure has been alleviated by the P4P program. All is well – or is …show more content…
So far, the P4P program mentioned and criticized above has shown progress, albeit the criticisms and predictions that it won’t last long or provide long-term solutions. There are several solutions that have been suggested, in particular economic power, and political power. In his piece for the BMJ, Professor Kaufman writes that:
“…instead of installing futures markets and teaching the nuances of arbitrage, Bill Gates and the World Food Programme might consider expending their manifold resources on emergency income creation and employment programmes…” (Kaufman, 2009)
Amartya Sen, awarded the 1998 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for his work in welfare economics has also pointed out that a political voice is the shortest path to a full stomach (Sen,