Food Shortages

FOOD SHORTAGES ARE production shortfalls on a regional level. Hunger is produced when need is greater than food availability. A food shortage occurs when food supplies within a given region are lower than the amount needed by that region's population. Food shortages are not the same thing as food poverty or food deprivation.

Food deprivation is the situation in which the nutrients consumed by an individual are fewer than he or she needs. Food poverty, or food insecurity, operates at the household level and is the result of a household being unable to obtain enough food to meet the needs of its members. Food shortages can certainly lead to household food poverty, which in turn can contribute to food deprivation. However, multiple causes contribute to all three levels of hunger.

Food shortages can be thought of as a production problem, but often food shortages occur as a result of political interventions that affect rules about importation of food. Even when food shortages occur because of a production problem, there is usually a connection to environmental reasons such as drought and a connection to political intervention such as prevailing economic policies.

Choice of diet has much to do with the occurrence of food shortages. Estimates indicate that if the world were to subsist on a vegetarian diet, there would be more than enough food to sustain the world's population. However, the growing Western trend toward a preference for animal foods has had a contributing factor in food shortages. Currently, global preferences are for a diet that is derived, in part, from animal products. Following this type of diet is more likely to lead to food shortages.

Shortfalls in the global food systems have been addressed in a variety of efforts in both developed and developing countries. Meat products are being discouraged in more developed countries. In the interest of equity, “food first” advocates have urged citizens to eat lower on the food chain in order to make more food available for global food needs. In developing countries, consuming meat products is associated with higher status. Thus, it is challenging to introduce dietary change.

Global food shortages are different from regional food shortages. This is because an analysis of available evidence points toward the fact that a global food shortage does not exist. Regional food shortages, in contrast, have occurred in some developing regions, partly from rapidly increasing population growth. Sub-Saharan [Page 375]Africa and southern Asia have been identified as regions where dietary energy supplies fall below basic average requirements. Higher fertility rates along with underdeveloped agricultural technology, natural disasters, and political unrest are cited as causes. However, birthrates have slowed and agricultural production has increased in south Asia, yet this region still lacks enough food. Experts suggest that the cause of food shortages cannot simply be seen as a product of overpopulation, and food importation is not always the solution.

The causes of food shortages are complex. Food production is certainly an issue but not the only issue. Production is affected by the climate of the region, with temperature and rainfall being important determinants of how many harvests can occur in a single year. Droughts are likely to interrupt crops, but should not immediately be linked with hunger, as seasonal variations in water supply could potentially be offset with stored foods. Natural disasters can also be a factor in diminishing food production, but often the severity is dependent on effective governmental response to the crisis.

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