#51 Problems of world food supplies and the causes of famine
There is not always enough food available in a country to feed the people living there. A severe food shortage can lead to famine.
It has been calculated that more than enoughe food is produced on Earth to provide every single person with more than enough for their needs. Yet many people do not got enough food. Each year, many people die because they have an inadequate diet.
The fundamental problem is that food is distributed unequally on our planet: while some parts of the world produce more than enough food for the people that live there, in other part of the world not enough food is produced.
- Although large amounts of food are transported from one area to another, this is still not sufficient to supply enough food to everybody.
- If food prices rise too high, many people may not be able to afford to buy it.
Famine can occur for many different reasons:
- Climate change and natural disaster such as drought and flooding that prevent crops from growing.
- Increasing population: population may grow so large that the land on which they live can no longer provide enough food for them.
- Unequal distribution of food.