What Causes World Hunger?

Trident University International

Lindsey Anderson

Module 2 Case

ENG102: English Composition II

Professor: Dr. Terry Daniels

26 September 2011

What causes world hunger? There are many different factors that can explain why some of the millions of people are going hungry and are in poverty in this big world. 925 million people are going hungry in the world today. Each year 15 million children die from hunger related causes. Children, rural inhabitants and slum dwellers are the main groups of people who are most vulnerable.

Nature is one of the causes for those to go hungry. Natural disasters occur without warning every year, affecting some people’s lives drastically. Disasters such as floods, tropical storms and long periods of drought are on the increase. In some countries, the climate change alone causes a loss of livestock and farming products. Drought is now the single most common cause of food shortages in the world. Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are majorly affected. Natural disasters such as hurricane Katrina left many people without homes and food. People from all over the United States sent food for emergency.

War is another cause of hunger and poverty. From Asia to Africa and Latin America, fighting causes millions of people to lose their homes. Some of the world’s worst hunger emergencies take place during these awful times. During war, the Soldiers will use starving as a weapon. They would destroy crops and livestock while wrecking local markets of the enemy.

Poverty traps develop in countries, making it difficult for farmers to be able to afford the feed for their livestock or their seeds and plant fertilizers. Because they cannot afford these essentials they cannot afford to feed their own families, causing a trap into poverty.

The most important causes of hunger have their own roots in the economy, social and political factors. They have control of how food is produced and distributed throughout the world. Politics are more...