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Why is hunger an issue in today's world? - Coggle Diagram
Why is hunger an issue in today's world?
Food deserts
food deserts are described as neighborhoods and communities that have little to no access to affordable and nutritious foods.
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https://youtu.be/E6ZpkhPciaU?si=mwTirFTLxfhAkIbs
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Gentrification plays a big role in the unwanted growth of food deserts within low-income neighborhoods. Gentrification can lead to food mirages which means that grocery stores are operating in neighborhoods occupied by people who can't afford their high food prices.
There are around 40.5 MILLION Americans living in food deserts, and this number increased as an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Areas with higher levels of poverty are more likely to be exposed to food deserts/insecurity than others. lack of proper transportation to get to grocery stores make it harder for people to access the foods that they need.
Poverty
living in poverty goes hand in hand with food insecurities. Not being able to afford food is one of the leading causes of hunger in today's society.
It is a known fact that most people who are living in hunger are also living in poverty, but not all people who are living in poverty are suffering from hunger. Poverty is the #1 cause of hunger.
People living in poverty who can't afford to eat may have access to local soup kitchens or community meal providers, but these meals and services are often times limited in how many people are served. In other words, once the meals are all gone there will likely be hundreds to thousands of people still hungry in the community.
While government assistance is available, getting these services can sometimes be a long and vicious process. Many of the government assistance services like (SNAP, EBT, and WIC) have waiting lists that date out months to even a year after families have applied for them.
Rising cost of living
As the prices for necessities increase in our economy, people struggle to keep up. Specifically, as food demands increase prices do as well. So what is causing our cost of living to increase?
https://youtu.be/0bjZUwcPM7A?si=rd_H2P-XS_Dhnx0O
After COVID-19 we seen a rise in many prices including gas/fuel prices, food items, rent, and even eggs. Not only did the pandemic cause the prices of everyday items to skyrocket, it also left many people jobless. With food prices increasing and job opportunities declining world hunger is easily multiplied.
In America, it is estimated that around 35.3% of low income households are food insecure. Many of these families spend around 27% or more of their monthly income on food. aside from the fact that these families are spending a big bulk of the little income that they have on food, they are most likely spending their money on food that isn't healthy or nutritious.
Population growth
The world's population is growing at about 1.1% annually, and while the world is growing food population needs to be as well.The world is only getting bigger, and with food production companies struggling to keep up, millions of families are left hungry.
While world population growth does affect world hunger, household population growth is another reason for hunger. Families that struggle with poverty and hunger may find themselves struggling even more if the amount of people in their households increase.
https://youtu.be/0m_fRD8N1ls?si=NBy2ZTohLuzvyhck
Some people argue that the issue isn't the population of growth that is the issue, its the production of food that needs to increase. The world is going to continue to grow and there is really nothing that can be done to stop it.
Extreme weather
Global warming has been a growing issue for our world. It has caused extreme weather such as high temperatures and periods of little to no rain. Because of this, our agricultural growth has declined.
weather that has the potential to alter the productivity of agriculture can cause prices of food to rise. The higher the demand, the higher the prices.
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https://youtu.be/xWYMSrb40Bs?si=vXOkkmmtuJqLoSFS
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For families who grow their own fruits and veggies, it can be even more difficult for them to maintain their agriculture during extreme weather. If these families happen to be living in poverty or struggling financially, this can make it nearly impossible for them to salvage their gardens.
