How hunger can be solved: Technology's part
Chronic persistent hunger can also occur in a country due to the current inability to produce enough food from the available arable land to meet the requirements of the ever expanding population. When this occurs, often in less economically developed countries, then food supplies can fall below the required level and often the country cannot afford to import food to cover the deficit.
Malthus' theory on hunger
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The problem was first highlighted by Thomas Malthus, a British economist in 1798. Malthus said that human population grows at a geometric or exponential rate, i.e. 1->2->4->8->16->32 etc, whereas food supplies, at best, only increases at an arithmetic rate, i.e. 1->2->3->4->5 etc. (Show in diagram). This theory highlights a major problem: population will expand greater than food supplies, and mass starvation would prevail.
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However, Malthus' theory has yet to come true. So far, on a global scale the world's population has increased at a tremendous rate as predicted by Malthus, but technological advances have increased food supplies to feed every mouth, something that Malthus couldn't have predicted.
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Thomas Malthus
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These technological advances have included the wide use of artificial fertilizers and the rapid developments in mechanization (the use of machines in the production of food). In the last 25 years, technological advances have lead to food production growing at an annual rate of 2.8%, whereas population growing at an annual rate of 2.0%.
Farmer using traditional farming technique to plough his field using donkeys.
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These technological advances have included the wide use of artificial fertilizers and the rapid developments in mechanization (the use of machines in the production of food). In the last 25 years, technological advances have lead to food production growing at an annual rate of 2.8%, whereas population growing at an annual rate of 2.0%.
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However, on a more local scale, economically more developed countries where technological advancement can be easily funded and developed, there has been a much greater gap between the difference between annual increase food production compared to rate of population expansion. The less economically developed countries, where governments and businesses are unable to afford to develop or import technologies, has meant the annual increase in food production has been less than the rate that the population has been expanding. The result: chronic persistent hunger in less economically developed countries.
The Green Revolution refers to the application of modern, Western-type, farming techniques to developing countries. However, it can only occur where funding has been provided to allow developing countries expand their food production methods. A lot has been done in recent years to solve the problem, and in some cases chronic persistent hunger has been completely eradicated.
However, it is widely believed that technological advances from previous years have reached their limits, now being unable to expand food yields much further. This has brought about the need for new technologies to be developed.
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An excellent example is Biotechnology - the idea of genetically modifying crops in an attempt to increase yields from crops and livestock even more in the future. However, this technology is still in development and not everyone is certain that it is safe - not only from an environmental point of view, but also regarding the effects on humans. Making crops resistant to diseases and parasites is obviously the next step to increase yields, but the wider effect of the technology, such as the possible chance of causing slight mutations that weren't intended to occur may cause concern. For example, chemical company Mon Santo has developed a strain of oil seed rape, which is immune to their own brand of weed killer used to cleanse fields. This will have the effect of having nothing for insects to feed on, no insects, no birds and so on - something that is not desirable for the security of the future.
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Strip of DNA - the item at the heart of genetic modification.
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Helping the hungry - using the Internet to promote their cause.
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Technologies that don't directly apply to the production of food, such as the Internet are also helping solve the problem of chronic persistent hunger. The Internet is an ideal medium to broadcast information about the problem that the general public wouldn't have otherwise received. Such technologies broaden the awareness of such problems, and help persuade people to support the cause.
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Technology, as you can see, is a very important factor in helping to solve the problem of chronic persistent hunger throughout the world. You can help by making use of the technology in front of you. Write to your friends using email, support online campaigns and research more into the problem using the Internet. The problem cannot be solved without the support of people like you.
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How hunger can be solved:
Education
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How hunger can be solved:
Government involvement
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