The Three Main Causes of World Hunger

1.  Political Conditions Cause World Hunger

War is a political cause for hunger. War slows or stops food production
and marketing. Food supplies are often taken and used for soldiers during
war, crop cycles are interrupted, seeds and  livestock are consumed
in desperation, and children suffer lasting health damage as a result of
insufficient food. Even if fighting never occurs, heavy military spending
takes away from food production, education, and health care.

2.   Economic Conditions Cause World  Hunger

One of the main causes of hunger is poverty. Most of the people
who are hungry do not have enough money to purchase the food
they need. The poorest and most food-insecure people live in Africa,
while the largest number of continually undernourished people live in the
Asia-Pacific region. Hunger is also especially severe in South Asia,
where growing poverty, debt, economic decline, poor terms of trade,
fast population growth, unfavorable weather, war, and government
collapse have all contributed to the continent’s food problems. In the
United States, the share of the population facing hunger has risen
because of poor economic conditions.  But, hunger in wealthy nations
is not as severe or widespread as in developing countries.

3.  Environmental Conditions Cause World Hunger

Hunger is also caused by environmental problems.   Fresh water, land,
forests, and fisheries are being used so much that they are losing
their resources.  In trying to use the environmental resources,
poor and hungry people, lacking economic and political power, have
become even more affected by hunger. This is true especially in countries
where property ownership is not fair, and poor families are forced
to move onto unstable land and to overcrowded cities.