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FOCUS ON ETHIOPIA HUNGER Is it possible to eliminate world hunger? WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HUNGRY?

Have you ever said, There is enough food produced in the world to feed? every- “I’m starving?” one. In fact, the world produces enough to give every single All of us have felt hungry at times but person approximately 2,720 kilocalories a day. Yet, 795 there are many degrees of hunger. Read million people in the world suffer from hunger every day. the definitions below to learn more. Hunger A condition in which people do not get WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF HUNGER? enough food to provide the nutrients for fully productive, active, and healthy lives. The causes of hunger are diverse and Poor farming practices, such People living in households where there complex. as overgrazing, overcropping, and is hunger are often forced to go without deforestation, lead to reduced War and conflict significantly food because they cannot afford to buy crop yields and soil erosion. it or cannot provide enough for everyone reduce access to food by in the household. damaging infrastructure, disrupting Poverty is both a cause and Malnutrition economic activity, and/or forcing people to an effect of hunger. If farmers An extreme form of hunger resulting flee from their homes. As a result, conflict- are unable to buy seeds, tools, from inadequate consumption or affected communities often have no access to fertilizers, or equipment, they drastically excessive consumption of one or more farmland and/or income. Most of the world’s reduce their ability to feed their families. nutrients that can impair mental and “hunger hot spots” are also “conflict hot spots.” Year after year, this has a cumulative physical health. effect, locking families and communities Weather and climate change Undernutrition into a cycle of poverty. A condition resulting from an inadequate severely impact world hunger. consumption of calories, protein, and Natural disasters such as Population growth is increasing nutrients to meet the basic physical drought, flooding, and tropical storms have demand for food in some of requirements for an active and healthy life. made agriculture more difficult for poor the world’s poorest countries. Food Insecurity families who rely solely on small plots of At current rates, the world’s population The limited or uncertain availability or land for food. Drought is now the single is expected to reach 9.7 billion people by ability to acquire safe, nutritious food. most common cause of food shortages in 2050, who will consume at the rate of People living in households that are the world. The world’s farmland is also under 12 billion people if they follow the current food-insecure do not always know how threat from erosion and desertification. consumption pattern of industrialized to provide for their next meal and are countries. The United Nations estimates often forced to cut back on meals to Lack of agricultural that food production must rise by stretch resources. infrastructure including roads, 50 percent to meet growing demand. storage facilities, and irrigation severely limits production and availability of Which one of the causes listed above food. Improving infrastructure is one of the do you think has the greatest impact DID YOU KNOW? key solutions to ending hunger. on hunger? Why? ■■ Hunger is the world’s #1 health risk. It kills more than HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS ■■ Poor nutrition causes nearly half of In the last few years, the price of food demonstrated the significance and scope deaths in children under five, about 3.1 million children each year. around the world skyrocketed. For the of this global crisis. Yet it also revealed the world’s three billion people living on less than complexity of the potential solutions. ■■ If female farmers had the same $2.50 a day, increased food prices can be a access to resources as males, the How do increased food prices affect you? number of hungry in the world could matter of life or death. In 36 countries, high be reduced by up to 150 million. food prices triggered a crisis, forcing families to spend up to 80 percent of their income A person who has food on food. This increase has been caused by has many problems. many factors, including lower agricultural A person who has no food production, climate change, and the shift has only one problem. to planting bio-fuel crops. Protests around —Chinese proverb the world, from Senegal to India and ,

CHECK IT OUT Watch a video on the “Feed the Future” Campaign: http://www.feedthefuture.gov/video/feed-future-turning-tide-global-hunger Learn more about world hunger: www.wfp.org/hunger HUNGER AROUND THE WORLD Is there hunger in your community?

Access to food is a basic human right. Yet goal was to halve the number? of people HUNGER IN THE U.S. every day, 795 million people are hungry. who suffer from hunger by 2015. Although the U.S. is one of the Increasing access to food is a global ■■ The Sustainable Development Summit of richest countries in the world, each priority. World leaders committed to halving 2015 led to the Sustainable Development year almost 47 million Americans, hunger at numerous summits including: Goals (SDGs), which includes ending one in seven people, experience hunger by 2030. food insecurity. The U.S. government ■■ The World Food Summits in 1996, 2002, has established numerous programs and 2009. How do you think a country with limited to increase food security, such as ■■ The Millennium Summit of 2000, which resources can increase access to food? food stamps, school breakfasts and led to the creation of the Millennium Do you think we can achieve zero lunches, and supplemental food for Development Goals (MDGs), the fi rst hunger by 2030? women, infants, and children. Every year, these programs reach over 28 million people. What would Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate happen if the government did not for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, provide this assistance? including food, clothing, housing and medical care . . . Source: Feeding America, 2012 —Article 25, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

HUNGER AROUND THE WORLD

Source: Global Hunger Index, 2017

WOMEN AND HUNGER Women represent more than 60 percent of the world’s hungry. Pregnant women and new mothers and their children are most at risk of undernourishment. Ensuring that women have access to adequate food is important because women most often take responsibility for the nutrition of their families. Ensuring that women also have access to education is critical, because educated women tend to marry later, have fewer children, and become more aware of nutritional issues.

CHECK IT OUT Read a report on global hunger: www.ifpri.org/publication/2016-global-hunger-index-getting-zero-hunger Read about Sustainable Development Goal 2 on ending hunger: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/ WHY IS THERE HUNGER IN ETHIOPIA?

HISTORY ? Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in a brief Italian occupation from 1936 to the world. It was the place where scientists 1941. Despite its celebrated past, decades found “Lucy,” one of the oldest known, of political instability, dictatorship, and complete, fossilized human skeletons. environmental degradation have left Ethiopia Fossils found in Ethiopia have been dated one of the poorest countries in the world. to over four million years old. A series of In 1998, a border dispute with Eritrea led monarchies ruled Ethiopia until 1995, when ETHIOPIA to a serious conflict. Although a peace the first democratic elections took place. agreement ended the conflict in 2000, One of ’s most famous leaders was an ongoing border dispute with Somalia Emperor Haile Selassie, who ruled Ethiopia threatens to destabilize the region further. from 1930 to 1974. Additionally, cycles of droughts and floods Ethiopia was the only country in Africa continue to hinder Ethiopia’s development that Europe did not colonize, except for and growth.

Ethiopia Country Information DID YOU KNOW? ■■ LOCATION: East Africa Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. CAPITAL: Addis Ababa ■■ POPULATION: 102.4 million It is the second most populous country in Africa. SIZE: Nearly twice the size of Texas ■■ It is home to more than 80 LANGUAGE: Amharic languages with over 200 RELIGIONS: Christian 62 percent, dialects. Muslim 34 percent ■■ The Ethiopian calendar has LIFE EXPECTANCY: 62 years 13 months. CHILD MORTALITY RATE: 68 deaths / ■■ 1,000 live births Since 1960, Ethiopian runners have set many world ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER: 57 percent records and have received LITERACY RATE: 49 percent over 50 Olympic medals, SCHOOL LIFE EXPECTANCY: 8 years including 22 gold medals. POPULATION BELOW POVERTY LINE: 30 percent POPULATION UNDERNOURISHED: 32 percent CHILDREN UNDER 5 WHO ARE For peace, for justice, for the freedom of peoples. UNDERWEIGHT: 25 percent In equality and in love we stand united. —National Anthem of Ethiopia KEY EXPORTS: Coffee, beeswax, sugarcane Sources: CIA World Factbook, 2016 Hunger has plagued the country for many years and for many reasons.

Agriculture has suffered due to prolonged a devastating impact. Each year, droughts and a lack of irrigation systems. between six and 13 million people are A growing population also requires at risk of extreme hunger. Furthermore, an increasing supply of food. Since the worsening economic situation has 85 percent of the population earns their left Ethiopians with little money for food income from agriculture, droughts have and development.

CHECK IT OUT Research information about Ethiopia: www.ethiopianembassy.org Read about Concern’s work in Ethiopia: www.concernusa.org/country/ethiopia/ HOW CAN WE BEST SOLVE THIS CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA?

CAN ETHIOPIA BREAK THE CYCLE OF HUNGER?? Since 1965, Ethiopia has faced drought Over 25 years later, the threat of extreme over 15 times. From 1984 to 1985, two of hunger and drought continues to affect the worst hunger crises in human history people’s lives. Successive crop failures over took the lives of over one million people the past years have depleted many families’ and brought worldwide attention to the savings, forcing them to sell their belongings plight of the drought-affected communities. to buy food or other basic necessities.

Meet Eshtu COMMUNITY-BASED MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE Eshtu lives in the Dessie Zuria region of Ethiopia. In Dessie Zuria, MALNUTRITION (CMAM) the main crop has historically been In 2001, Concern and partner Valid reach help. Everything changed with the barley, but the growth of barley International pioneered a new approach to CMAM approach, which enabled Concern to is very dependent on the rainfall. treat severely malnourished children. Up train and supply community health workers Unfortunately, this area often faces droughts. Therefore, Concern until this time, nurses and doctors treated with a new product known as Ready-to-Use introduced apples and potatoes children in hospitals or treatment facilities Therapeutic Food (such as peanut paste) as alternative crops because called “Therapeutic Feeding Centers.” The for severely malnourished children. Now, they grow better in droughts and centers were expensive to run because community health workers are able to provide also cost more, which increases children were given 24-hour care for up a weekly supply to the mothers, who can then farmers’ incomes when they sell to 30 days. Although they were built in treat their children from home. CMAM has them in markets. centrally located places, families who lived been so successful that it has been adopted far away were forced to travel for days to by the UN and World Health Organization. Eshtu has been working with Concern and became an apple farmer three years ago. After Concern provided him with the Meet Said tools and training to farm apples, Said Mohammed is 32 years old. He supports things began improving for Eshtu. his family with income he earns from “The future is very bright,” he says. farming. Like many Ethiopians, Said relied on “I am flexible and try to adapt to rainfall to water his crops and risked losing new farming methods and use new everything in times of floods or drought. research to my benefit. I am sharing Four years ago, he harvested only corn from my new farming knowledge with his land, which was not enough to meet his my friends and they are learning family’s needs. As a result, he had to sell all from my experience.” of his animals. Eshtu is an excellent example of how Fortunately, Said’s land fell within an area training a few community members selected for irrigation in a joint venture by can lead to the improvement of an the government of Ethiopia and Concern entire community as they share Worldwide. In this program, irrigation canals their experiences with one another. were built to channel rainwater into fields. Irrigation enabled Said to plant earlier and harvest more crops, including tomatoes, onions, and peppers. With the money he earned, he bought two camels and built a When spider webs unite, new house for his family. Said stated, “We eat more vegetables now from our land.” they can tie up a lion. Said is one of 12,000 farmers who have participated in Concern’s irrigation —Ethiopian proverb programs. Projects such as this one provide a true-life example of how governments, communities, and organizations can work together to break the cycle of poverty and hunger.

CHECK IT OUT Learn about El Nino’s impact in 2016: www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/feb/17/el-nino-leaves-100-million-people- hungry-short-of-water-droughts-floods-worldwide Read how Concern responded to El Nino inflicted droughts: www.concernusa.org/story/nautre-shows-no-mercy-in-ethiopia/ HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE HUNGER?

EXPLORING SOLUTIONS ? We have enough food to feed everyone new technology has the potential to end on the planet. Yet, in every corner of the world hunger. However, there is a debate world there are people who are unable to on whether or not these foods may have lead healthy, active lives because they do adverse effects on one’s health, or may not have adequate food. There are many create new allergies and other unintended complex political, economic, and social consequences. Is donating or encouraging factors that contribute to global hunger poor countries to grow GM food the answer and, as a result, there are no easy solutions. to world hunger?

How do you think hunger can be Fair Trade eliminated? Here are some ideas . . . Quotas, tariffs, and farm subsidies greatly Food Aid inhibit farmers in the developing world from trading on the world market. Using The international community can help these methods, developed countries are eradicate hunger through food donation able to control the amount of imports into programs. Food aid is an immediate solution their country, which makes it easier and in the fight against hunger. This form of aid cheaper to buy domestic goods. While this has been criticized for creating a dependence may help the local economy, it substantially on external aid and reducing the market reduces the ability of poorer countries prices of locally produced food. Yet many to develop their economies through fair claim that food aid has proven successful trade. But some argue that if we don’t in saving lives and reducing the suffering help U.S. farmers, they’ll suffer as well. of the most vulnerable communities. Environmental Sustainable Development Conservation Many people believe that in order to Worsening environmental conditions eliminate hunger and poverty, it is have had a drastic effect on people in necessary to concentrate on long-term, developing countries. Depletion of natural sustainable development. To achieve long- resources, deforestation, and degradation lasting growth, aid programs must focus of ecosystems make the land unsuitable on combating the spread of HIV and AIDS, for productive farming. What are other ways providing education for all children, and to promote environmental conservation? increasing agricultural productivity of poor We can help solve these problems by farmers (particularly women) by building involving local residents in environmental infrastructure and roads to improve access conservation programs. to markets to sell their goods. Peace Negotiations Genetically Modified Food One of the major causes of hunger is war, which often displaces people from their By using genetically modified (GM) food— land. Violent conflict also prevents food aid food in which the DNA has been altered— from reaching the people who need it the we can increase yields of crops and grow most. How can diplomatic efforts such as crops that are resistant to certain diseases peace negotiations ensure that people have or pesticides. Some scientists think that this enough to eat?

THE COST OF HUNGER The UN estimated that it would cost $267 billion each year to solve the world hunger crisis, approximately 0.3 percent of the global GDP. Although this may seem like a lot, in 2015, the U.S.’s defense budget was $601 billion and each year, Americans spend about $60 billion on weight loss. Do you think that the world can afford to end hunger? SPEAK OUT ! CAN WE ELIMINATE HUNGER?

DEBATE IT “Hunger is man-made.? What With so many challenges to overcome, do you think we can misguided policies have eliminate hunger? caused, better focused policies can undo.” —Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur CAN WE ELIMINATE HUNGER? on the Right to Food

YES NO “What’s important today is to Hunger can be eliminated Hunger cannot be eliminated realize that the time for talking is long past . . . now is the time for action.” ■■ The industrialized countries have ■■ War and conflict throughout huge economies and tremendous Africa prevent development and —Jacques Diouf, resources. If they would all chip perpetuate problems like hunger. Director of FAO, 2008 in, hunger could be cut in half at All of the aid in the world will an affordable cost. not help so long as this violence “Gender equality is not simply continues. socially desirable; it is a ■■ Given the high level of wealth central pillar in the fight against in the developed world, we ■■ It is not the responsibility of hunger.” have a responsibility to share countries like the U.S. to take care —UN Hunger Task Force some of this wealth to reduce of the hungry in other parts of the hunger. world; that is the responsibility of “The freedom of man, I contend, their own governments. ■■ For the amount of money is the freedom to eat.” that Americans spend on dieting ■■ It is unrealistic to try to cut world —Eleanor Roosevelt, and weight loss (over $60 billion hunger in half. It would cost Former First Lady and activist per year), we could invest in more money than people in the sustainable solutions to hunger. industrialized countries would be “Hunger is not only a physical willing to pay. condition. It is a drain on economic ■■ Because the world is so inter- development, a threat to global connected today, reducing ■■ The causes of hunger in other security, a barrier to health and hunger in the world ultimately countries are complex and poorly education reform, and a trap for serves everyone’s interests. It understood. It is naïve to think the millions of people worldwide creates more political stability and that outsiders can really make a by promoting economic growth, serious difference by throwing who work from sun-up to sun- helps create more markets. money at the problem. down every day to produce a harvest that often doesn’t meet their needs.” —Hillary Clinton, Former Secretary of State

CHECK IT OUT ! Watch our student-narrated “Hunger in Ethiopia” video: cac.concernusa.org/resources REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

HUNGER ETHIOPIA Universal Declaration of Human Rights Early Warning BBC News www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index. Systems Network www.bbc.co.uk/news/world- shtml www.fews.net africa-13349398 Roadmap to End Global Hunger International Food Policy Human Rights Watch usa.wfp.org/sites/default/files/u-22/ Research Institute www.hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=ethiop roadmap_0.pdf www.ifpri.org Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Joint Statement on Community- Free Rice Game www.mfa.gov.et Based Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition www.freerice.com Mountain Voices www.who.int/nutrition/topics/statement_ Friends of the World www.mountainvoices.org/ethiopia.asp commbased_malnutrition/en/index.html Food Program UNICEF www.friendsofwfp.org www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ethiopia.html Reuters Alertnet CONCERN WORLDWIDE US, INC www.alertnet.org/db/topics/ CAMPAIGNS www.concernusa.org HUNGER.htm One Campaign 355 Lexington Ave., 16th Fl. www.one.org ORGANIZATIONS New York, NY 10017 Results Food and Agriculture Organization 212-557-8000 www.results.org of the United Nations 332 S Michigan Ave., 9th Fl. www.fao.org World Food Day www.worldfooddayusa.org , IL 60604 United States Department 312-431-8400 of Agriculture www.usda.gov DOCUMENTS International Food Policy Research ConcernWorldwideUS World Food Program Institute Global Hunger Index www.wfp.org www.ifpri.org/ghi/2012 ConcernWorldwideUS World Health Organization State of the World’s Food Insecurity www.who.int @Concern http://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/

This publication is intended to inform readers about the issue of hunger and does not necessarily reflect the views of Concern Worldwide U.S. Inc. or Concern Worldwide on this issue. Concern Worldwide does not officially recommend or endorse any of these organizations. Concern Worldwide U.S. Inc. is a New York not-for-profit corporation exempt from Federal income taxation under section 501(c) (3). Concern Worldwide U.S. Inc. supports projects carried out in the field by Concern Worldwide, registered in Ireland. White This publication was written and produced in 2003, updated in 2008, 2013, and 2017. Photo credits: front cover, page 4, page 5 bottom, Caroline Irby; page 3, Kim Haughton; page 5 top, page 6 bottom, Jennifer O’Gorman; page 6 top, back cover, Liam Burke, Press 22; page 7, David Conachy/Sunday Independent. All photos: Ethiopia, Concern Worldwide.