Economic, Class and Morality Economics,

Economic, Class And Morality

Economics, Class, and Morality

Introduction to Hunger and Famine

The world is confronting innumerable problems since the time humans have first walked on planet Earth; however, with the passage of time, these problems are intensifying and posing a horrendous threat to the subsistence and survival of human species. A fact that makes this concern more complex is that the problems are diverse in nature that is they belong to social, political as well as economic arenas. This means that grave attention and cooperation is required from world communities to address and mitigate them otherwise the consequences would surely be catastrophic (Austin 337-345).

Since the onset of twenty first century, patterns of life and growth have experienced unprecedented changes. This relates to an exponential increase in human population and decrease in available and exploitable resources. As a result, multiple enormities such as scarcity of good quality food, poverty, hunger, famine, associated illnesses and boost in the prevalence of undernourished individuals have heightened. Appallingly, all these issues have already resulted in several mortalities all around the world affecting people of all ages. Furthermore, these issues are required to be addressed with gravity or else they will continue to spread the disastrous impacts to eliminate the human existence (Maddocks 1-15).

A look around the globe brings the attention to the fact that problems of hunger and famine loom large mainly in the third world nations. Due to underdeveloped economy, poor social status, lack of government interest and intervention of affluent nations in these countries, populations largely languish in poverty and hunger. Moreover, natural disasters, lack of sophisticated machinery for cultivation of consumer crops and overpopulation also contribute to the cause of hunger and famine (Hilliard, 2011).

Studies reveal that the amount of food produced worldwide is sufficient to be consumed by all the global inhabitants, yet, unfortunate fact remains that considerable number of individuals suffers from hunger and significant malnourishment prevails amongst them. Furthermore, due to global warming, the frequency of natural disasters such as earth quake, floods and droughts have skyrocketed and adverse impacts have further worsened, which destroys food crops and livestock causing famine in the region. Furthermore, scarcity of resources such as finance for rehabilitating the disaster affected region causes the denizens to survive serious hunger (Hilliard, 2011).

Reports depict that the cycle of hunger persists from generation to generation, as the lack of resources and economic meltdown that affects the global economy continues to prevail and specifically embrace the people of third world nations into its ever deteriorating effects. Consequently, those who are already facing numerous problems being citizens of developing nations are further forced to tolerate the brunt of famine and hunger (Onino, 2011).

Furthermore, many nations around the world still rely on traditional methods of agriculture; therefore, they could not produce a large amount of crops and livestock that they can sell to earn profits. Moreover, lack of roads and irrigation systems mostly in underdeveloped and developing countries lead to problems of transporting agricultural outputs from farmlands to markets. Additionally, in many regions that have the properly developed infrastructure, the cost of transportation of goods to the local markets as well as shipping them to other countries is very high; hence, shortage of food in the market occurs and thus hunger prevail in those areas (Onino, 2011).

Another feature that causes hunger is the absence of adequate storage places for stocking up food that can be used afterwards during the time of drought or famine. Governments of third world countries are so engrossed in stabilizing the economy that they fail to realize that investment of funds in development of storage facilities can diminish food crisis. This is because whenever the country over produces food, it can be stored properly to be used in the times of food shortages. However, lack of attention and funds are mostly conducive to decomposition of food that becomes wasted and consequently hunger crisis develop whenever drought occurs (Onino, 2011).

In this regard, the thesis statement claims "Contrary to what thinkers and theorists have argued; hunger and famine are often experienced in the United States as a significant problem apart from the third world countries."

2. Issue of Hunger in the United States

United States is considered to be one of the developed, powerful and rich countries of the world. However, looking at the gloomy side of the land of plenty, hunger and famine is one of its frightful and alarming realities. The facts and figures have brought the fact to the forefront that millions of Americans (including infants, children, adults and elderly) are suffering from the scarcity of food, which makes them struggle from hunger (World Hunger Education Service, 2012).

An aspect to consider is that issue of hunger is common in those developing and developed nations such as United States that mainly rely on imported food items. The reason behind it is that the imported commodities are expensive, as the taxes increase their sale price whereas the majority of population is not rich enough to afford them. Therefore, poor individuals of the population do not get enough eatables at reasonable prices; thus, they face hunger (Wilson 29-45).

Together with the topographical, natural and economic factors, many man-made aspects are also involved in creating hunger and famine. History illustrates that army men have employed hunger as a tool to capture lands of the opponent party. In this regard, soldiers used to destroy food resources, farmlands and water reserves to cause the inhabitants to face serious food shortages that eventually coerced the locals to abscond their land for survival (Wilson 29-45).

Nonetheless, it has been estimated that human causes of hunger have drastically escalated during past couple of decades including the rise of hunger due to wars and conflicts. Inventions of complicated arms and weapons have made wars more deadly. As a consequence, countless people have migrated from their current residence. Furthermore, many people have lost homes, as they have been destroyed in the incidences of bombing, shelling and drone attacks (Wilson 29-45).

Similarly, destroyed lands become less productive and at instances lose its fertility completely; thus, crops cannot be grown on them. As an outcome of all these conditions and incidences, severe hunger crisis have been generated all around the world, which are not only affecting the developing and underdeveloped regions but also developed nations such as United States are feeling its effects (Wilson 29-45).

Hunger and famine issue in the United States have been witnessed to an escalated level from the time the world encountered one of the most overwhelming issues of the financial and economic crisis. This means that the eruption of the financial crisis left an indelible imprint on the populace of the United States, which made them fall under hunger at a dramatic speed. Indeed, this rapid raise in the hunger still remains one of the grave issues that need serious attention and consideration (World Hunger Education Service, 2012).

From the statistical records of the recent years, it has come to notice that almost fifteen percent of the households of the U.S. have been insecure with respect to food and hunger, which is considered to be the highest in the history of the country. One of the major reasons that the populace of United States experienced hunger and famine in the recent years is the increasing poverty level, which has raised with an accelerated pace. The poverty level in the U.S. is measured as the largest in comparison to the last fifty years, according to the reports of United States Census Bureau (World Hunger Education Service, 2012).

Trade is considerably another prime reason that adds to the hunger issue within the realm of the United States. Since the developing and underdeveloped nations have ample of labor with low wages, thus the rich countries like the U.S. are shifting their production units to such poor countries in order to lower down their overall costs. This shift of jobs is making the lower income residents of the United States vulnerable to issues like hunger (World Hunger Education Service, 2012).

Moreover, the economic conditions of the kingdom have also largely contributed to the hunger problem within the nation. This is particularly due to the reason that the level of competition in the free enterprise economy has elevated, which only provides employment to the people who are most qualified. Consequently, the low income people are left unemployed, as they do not get the opportunity to obtain the high quality education. This eventually confirms that the significant amount of unemployed people fall under the category of least qualified or low-income group (World Hunger Education Service, 2012).

One cannot ignore the fact that the United States is a huge country with culturally diverse people. This cultural diversity often becomes cultural inequality that segregates the people into different races. This also signifies that people of particular races are much likely to experience lack of income, poor housing, lack of food, poor health facilities which turn out in health enormities and various other issues. Ultimately, these issues results in hunger and famine, where these inhabitants become deprived of the basic facilities that they are entitled to, as being a citizen of the country (World Hunger Education Service, 2012).

3. Impacts of Hunger and Famine in U.S.

The standard of living means to have a healthy, vigorous and active life. Keeping in mind, the standard of living, the hunger crisis in the U.S. is calculated and determined when its residents are not able to meet the nutritional needs to live a dynamic life. This indicates the fact that the people have lack of access to the nutritious, healthy and safe food. As a consequence, the inhabitants (especially of the low-income groups) tend to opt for foods that are less expensive with usually low nutrients, so that they can meet up to the financial components. Moreover, it has also been observed that meals are also dropped from the diet plans of the day (Simko, Cowell & Gilbride 41-46).

Over time, this pattern of cutting down the meals and purchasing cheaper food items begets to chronic undernourishment, which affects the overall health of the people in profoundly destructive manner. This undoubtedly denotes that hunger leads to deteriorated families and individuals, who are not able to put their potential to the maximum level towards the growth and progression of the country, due to which the nation cannot grow to its maximum potential levels (Simko, Cowell & Gilbride 41-46).

Studies have indicated that when children suffers from hunger and starvation, they are not able to concentrate on their learning process, and are not able to make the most from their educational process in comparison to the children who are meeting an adequate amount of nutritional levels. As a result, these deprived children turn out to be less creative and dynamic in their adulthood. Not only the children are the affected people, but adults are also immensely vulnerable to the malnourishment problem, as they become less productive in performing their daily tasks and job responsibilities. Besides, they are more likely to make blunders and mistakes during their employments, which make them at higher risk of losing the job and being unemployed (Anonymous 1-2).

Hunger and starvation poses great risk and threat to the children and elderly people with several health issues on both long-term as well as short-term basis. The health issues due to hunger and undernourished diets are related to both physical and well as psychological (Anonymous 1-2).

4. Addressing and Resolving the issue of Hunger

The above presented facts and records have evidently elucidated the fact that hunger and famine has become a vital concern for the United States. The facts prove the thesis statement that hunger and famine is experienced in the United States as a significant problem. Nevertheless, this issue can be resolved and addressed by a number a ways. Nutrition programs based on the national and interactional level is one of the most efficient and direct techniques to deal with the issue and alleviate it to the maximum level. Food assistance to the people confronting scarcity of hunger is also an essential and fundamental method to shrink the national level issue, but the authorities should not restrict themselves to this method only, as it is not sufficient (Bread Org, 2012).

Considering the resolution of the enormity, currently many of the programs on a worldwide basis have been initiated such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) that are laying key emphasis on addressing and resolving the issue of hunger and famine all across the globe. In this regard, few of the programs have also been constantly working and striving throughout the nation with the core purpose of helping the nationals of low-income groups to meet the expense of a nutritionally adequate diet. In fact, quite a few of the organizations are also particularly focusing the women and infants at nutrition risk for their nutritious diets, education, health concerns and various other social services (Whitney, Whitney & Rolfes 685-699).

These organizations are helping the underprivileged denizens by providing them with vouchers through which they can gain access to the nutritious foods on monthly basis that include cereals for both infants and adults, fruit or vegetable juice rich with vitamin-c, eggs, milk, canned fish and so forth. Additionally, these people are also enabled with other benefit programs, such as Medicaid and so on (Bread Org, 2012).

Programs have also been launched at the school basis that primarily focuses on providing the low-income and nutritionally deprived children with free as well as reduced-priced meals for lunch and breakfast. This is predominantly practiced so that the students can only have their attention towards their learning process (Bread Org, 2012).

Since the United States does not have dearth of food, therefore, this issue is solvable and can be reduced to a considerable level. One of the effective means that can reduce the level of hunger within the country is improving the level of education in the areas that are high in poverty. Moreover, by making some amendments in the public policy would also bring a positive change such that a level of safety for the underprivileged people would be created with reference to the nutrition (Whitney, Whitney & Rolfes 685-699).

5. Conclusion

To put the entire thesis in a nutshell, it can be well stated that United States is one of the wealthiest countries of the world, yet a number of grave issues have been identified in the recent years, amongst which hunger and famine are two substantial concerns to mention. It means that thousands and millions of people on everyday basis struggle for food consumption. The facts have explicitly revealed the fact that hunger and famine have become an escalating issue across the globe, where huge population from all over the world has come under its shocking and overwhelming impacts, and United States is no exception.

While talking about the significant issue of hunger in the United States, dominance of continued poverty within the years has appeared to be the root cause of hunger within the country. Nevertheless, few other reasons that include political and economic concerns have intensified and elevated the issue. However, the anti-hunger programs are the key sources and preventive measures that can reduce and alleviate the struggle of hunger amongst millions of people residing in the U.S.

6. Annotated Bibliography

Anonymous. "Hunger in the U.S. -- Families in Crisis." The Hunger Site, 2012. Web. 29 Dec 2012

This website has discussed how hunger has become one of the harsh realities of the United States, even though it is a land of abundant resources. The impact of hunger upon the individuals, society and eventually on the nation has been argued by the author. Solving the hunger problem has also been articulated in the study. I have used this website with the prime motive to surface the impact of this enormity upon various bodies.

Austin, Michael. Reading the World Ideas That Matter. 2nd Edition. New York, USA: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print.