Food Security vs. Sovereignty: Concepts and Causes of Hunger

Food Security and Food Sovereignty: A Comparison

Food security focuses on people’s access to appropriate nutrition. Food sovereignty includes this, and how and where decisions are made, and directly confronts questions of power.

The Concept of Entitlement and Hunger

The concept of “entitlement” is crucial to understanding hunger. Starvation, the condition of not having enough to eat, doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t enough food available globally. Instead, it’s determined by how food is distributed and how politics, economics, and ideology influence this distribution. Being hungry reflects an individual’s or group’s political status. Entitlement, in this context, refers to the power of an individual or group to command food, which is determined by their ability to access resources.

Proximate vs. Structural Factors of Hunger

Young distinguishes between proximate and structural factors causing hunger:

• Proximate factors: These are the immediately identifiable causes of hunger, disease, and death. Examples include rising food prices, droughts, floods, conflicts, and crop failure.
• Structural factors: These are the more fundamental, long-term processes that shape access to power and resources. They specifically relate to the nature and structure of the global food system, which is now dominated by major transnational corporations.

Example: The Great Irish Famine

• Proximate cause: The fungus Phytophthora infestans (potato blight), which reached Ireland in the fall of 1845.
• Structural factors: Widespread poverty that had reduced approximately one-third of the Irish population to almost exclusive dependence on the potato for sustenance.
• Period: The famine occurred in the mid-19th century (starting in 1845).
• Affected population: Primarily the poor, potato-dependent Irish population.
• Impact: The famine had a devastating impact on the Irish population, leading to mass starvation, disease, and emigration, significantly reducing the population size.

Malthusianism and Hunger

Malthusian ideology posits that food supply increases arithmetically while population grows geometrically. Therefore, the population will always outstrip food supply. Young critiques this, stating that there *is* enough food in the world, but hunger persists due to issues like transportation limitations and water scarcity, and, most importantly, unequal distribution.

Global Undernutrition and Micronutrient Deficiencies

Approximately 868 million people worldwide suffer from undernutrition. Some major micronutrient deficiencies include:

• Kwashiorkor: Severe protein deficiency, characterized by swollen bellies, stunted growth, hair discoloration, scaly skin, and weakness in children.
• Marasmus: Severe overall calorie deficiency, where the body breaks down protein for energy. Children appear aged, and brain development is impaired.

The Relationship Between Disease and Malnutrition

Poor diet increases susceptibility to illness. Poor living conditions, inadequate sanitation, and lack of clean drinking water exacerbate this relationship.

The Nutrition Transition

The nutrition transition is occurring at an unequal rate across the Global South. As markets in the Global North became saturated, food transnational corporations (TNCs) expanded into the South. This is a huge industry with significant research capabilities to create and promote their products, leading to dietary changes and associated health impacts.

Factors Driving Up World Food Prices

Four major factors driving world food prices upward are droughts, floods, conflicts, and crop failures.

Biofuel Production and Hunger

The production of biofuel crops is linked to hunger and malnutrition. The primary impact of biofuels on food inflation comes from increases in the farm prices of commodities used in food production, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, and oats. This inflation of prices further excludes those who cannot afford these commodities.