Although there are a number of complex political, economic, and ecological issues at the root of world hunger, a number of myths have been perpetuated to explain why hunger exists. One myth says that people are hungry because of scarcity; in fact, hunger exists in the face of plenty. The earth is producing more than enough to nourish every human…

This bulletin examines the narrowing margin between global food production and population growth. Between 1950 and 1971, world grain production nearly doubled and per capita production increased 31 percent. During the 1970s, gains in output barely kept pace with population growth, consumption per person declined in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of…

The major hunger problem today is chronic undernutrition, the primary cause of which is poverty. Hunger can be alleviated through food supplements, nutrition programs, and disaster relief. It can be eliminated by redistributing existing wealth and producing enough food and through equitable economic growth and a world food security system. (CS)

Articles representing two views on the issue of rapid population growth and economic development are presented. Although the authors present different perspectives, they agree on many of the fundamentals. For example, both reject alarmism about impending "population explosions" and the use of population as a scapegoat for all Third World…

Designed for high school global education classes, this document examines ways in which the arms race affects the poor. Military expenditures and foreign economic aid of the developed nations are compared with survival needs of developing nations. Statistics support five premises: the arms race (1) diverts resources from productive activity and…

This curriculum guide is a compilation of curriculum pieces that have appeared either in "Intercom" or in another earlier curriculum guide but are still vital and relevant; what binds the issues in the pieces together is the urgency of the problems they pose--urgent issues for both developed and "underdeveloped" nations…

This U.S. presidential commission report outlines specific recommendations for eliminating world hunger in the 1980's. Following a summarization of world hunger problems, the report addresses specific ways to deal with world hunger. Short-term goals include taking immediate action to ensure that poor people are not hungry, assuring that infants…

Designed for global education at the high school level, this document presents statistics on malnutrition, infant mortality, and illiteracy in developing nations. The statistics are compared with private and government expenditures of wealthy nations. Examples of the statistical information for developing nations are: more than 500 million people…

Colloquium participants were asked to make informed guesses about whether developing countries can grow and equitably distribute the food they need over the next decade, what the international development community should do to help in both production and distribution, and what role the United States should play in the development process. The 17…

This directory provides key information on agencies and organizations instrumental in the fight against hunger. The guide is divided into three parts. Part 1, "Governmental Organizations and Agencies," lists: (1) "U.S. Congress"; (2) "U.S. Federal Government Agencies"; and (3) "United Nations Intergovernmental Organizations." Part 2, "World…

Over one billion of the world's people are chronically hungry. For them, life is a hunger cycle characterized by vulnerability to disease, stunted physical and mental development, reduced energy and motivation, and low work productivity. This curriculum guide is designed to channel student awareness and concern into effective action. The…

Activities help high school students become aware of the extent of world hunger and the place of population control in the fight against hunger. The materials offer the student background information and a variety of viewpoints. The aim of each activity is to increase the student's own informed decision making. (CS)

This essay, intended for use with secondary grade students, describes the current world situation regarding food and population and discusses likely prospects for feeding a hungry and growing population. Student resources for further reading and research are provided. A separate teaching guide is included. (RM)

This book of teaching activities is designed to address the issue of hunger and develop a sense of activism and hope among students. It encourages students to discover some of the causes and misconceptions about world hunger. The book contains eight lessons with numerous activities to allow students to study hunger and develop a broader…

Hunger and malnutrition lead to the deaths of 13-18 million people a year; 75 percent of these victims are children. World Food Day was created to focus attention on the world's food and farm problems and to encourage the world's people to become directly involved in the solution of these problems. It is sponsored jointly by the United Nations…