What does POVERTY, FAMINE, POOR, DISEASE and MALNOURISHED have in common?
They are brought about by economic rundown in their respective countries leading to food crisis and poor health status. Countries like Zimbabwe and Africa have been setting the clear cut examples being the center of poverty and famine since decades ago. Food is available in Africa. It’s just that, the people could not afford to buy it. Thus, many Nigerians eat weeds just to keep themselves from starving to death. Same fate falls upon the Haiti people who are
feeding on mud as their staple diet.What happen in the first place?
Lands fertile for farming and plantation were claimed for development, uprising demands for food for world’s growing population, change of weather (drought/flood), crops attack by pesticides etc. Some of the world’s rice production collapse unable to compete with new technology (i.e. Haiti). Illegal trading of harvested crops by traders to wealthier countries. Debts by poorer countries (i.e. Africa) and inflation. Mass urbanization of farmers into cities. [Source : celsias]
What are the consequences?
In these poorer than poor conditions, they couldn’t afford for food, what more to spare any money on healthcare? Diarrhea, malaria, AIDS, dehydration, malnutrition and many kinds of other diseases strike this community of poverty-stricken people. [Source : guardian.co.uk] Hygiene might not be generally practiced by poor people and children are often the victims of the dirty environment.
What is the concern?
The outburst of war, bioterrorism, food fraud and danger of facing famine worldwide. At the hike of the food prices and global economic redundancy, it is feared that food availability is doubted. Even if it is available, people may not be able to purchase the food. When prices of food shoot up the market, poorer ones could not hold on. More than 100 million Asians are expected to suffer from hunger misery due to the rise of staple food – wheat, rice, soya, maize since March 2007. [Source : Asianews]
The existing natural resources are not sufficient to sustain the entire world’s population. Let's face it; the food crisis is inevitable. And China’s melamine food crisis might just be the lesson to be learnt. Perhaps focus on the ongoing debate about GMOs??
I try to blame the internet for being out of service, thus rendering the delay of my entry.
:D
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