Global Hunger – Evaluating impacts on children, families of developing nations, and current solutions.

As we transition into a new year, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a threat to our global society, impacting the way we live on a day-to-day basis. While our health and wellness are at risk, we now face exposure to another uncertainty; how the pandemic is affecting global hunger. Currently, 8.9% of the world’s population is hungry – that is 690 million people that are not receiving the essential nutrients they need in order to survive and stay healthy. This number is projected to increase for the first time since 1998, reversing decades of global progress against hunger and malnutrition. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)released a statement that the pandemic could have a devastating impact on global hunger and poverty – especially on the poorest and most vulnerable populations. 36 countries including Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen could experience famines in 2021, pushing an additional 140 million people to the brink of starvation while they live on less than $1.90 a day. Now the question remains; how exactly can a pandemic increase the rate of global hunger?

Here’s how.

Supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and increased consumer demand for food have exponentially increased food prices globally. This is not good news for anyone, and especially concerning for the millions of people living in poverty in developing countries who already spend most of their income on food alone. Alongside this, many different kinds of staple foods can also see an increase in prices at about 20% at the least. A prominent example of this occurrence is how the price of cassava in Liberia skyrocketed by 150% and labour and transport disruptions left a large percent of farmland uncultivated. Affordability decreases while poverty and food insecurity increase.

Additionally, The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to worsen child hunger and malnutrition. The pandemic has forced more than 1 billion children out of school, depriving them of access to nutritious meals. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF estimated a 30% overall reduction in essential nutrition services coverage. Sharp declines, therefore, are also expected in access to child health and nutrition services, similar to those seen during the 2014–16outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in sub-Saharan Africa. There remains hope, none the less; leaders of four UN agencies are devising a call to action on child malnutrition and COVID-19. Alongside these efforts, the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium, an organization of nutrition, economics, food, and health systems researchers, is working to estimate the scale and reach of nutrition challenges related to COVID-19.

Food Insecurity – Looking through the lens of Indigenous communities in Canada

After analyzing the bigger picture and evaluating the effects of hunger on the global population, it is important to note that the struggles the Indigenous population of Canada faces are often overlooked, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poorer health, lower levels of education, inadequate and decaying housing and crowded living conditions, lower-income, lack of public services and higher rates of suicide compared to the general Canadian population are all prevalent issues that the Indigenous communities are facing currently. The pandemic only continues to aggravate these situations and puts into play another pressing issue: food insecurity. At the beginning of the pandemic, calls for people to self-isolate and practice social/physical distancing have operated alongside demands that we as a society work collectively to protect those who are most vulnerable. These are critically important actions to take. But unfortunately, these same calls have not been extended to Indigenous peoples and communities who, because of long-term, systemic social and economic inequalities, will be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It is hard to shelter in place, practice social distancing, self-isolate or regularly wash hands when many Indigenous families live in overcrowded and poorly ventilated houses that are often without access to clean water.

Now at the very least, this global crisis has truly exposed how much of a threat is posed to Indigenous communities when there is a public health crisis, and how little support there is. It is crucial that short-term emergency-driven solutions such as food banks that have been implemented out of necessity should not be the primary method of dealing with such a crisis. Rather, it is vital to address food insecurity for Indigenous peoples in Canada from its root cause. It is impractical to repeatedly put on a bandaid whenever you bleed; finding the reason for your bleeding and resolving that is how you progress and improve.

A study conducted by BMC Public Health does exactly that. This organization had one objective, and that was to explore the perceptions of food insecurity by Indigenous communities living in a remote, on-reserve community in northern Ontario known to have a high prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity. They wanted to give a voice to these people to express their concerns to gauge a better understanding of the severity of food insecurity that they faced during COVID-19. The majority of participants reported consuming traditional food which typically consists of wild meats and suggested that hunting, preserving, and storing traditional food has remained very important. However, numerous barriers to traditional food acquisition were mentioned. One of these barriers was the higher prices of food. Compared to the average Canadian food prices, northern Ontario is significantly higher, which explains why indigenous communities have higher rates of food insecurity, considering they make up for a large share of the population in that area. Food prices tend to be higher because of the transportation required to deliver food and low-profit margins. Another barrier that was noted was the lack of access to traditional food. The traditional food of Indigenous communities is far healthier than the food sold in grocery stores. However, due to a lack of access, they choose to buy the unhealthier food to put anything on their tables. This has been resulting in increased rates of obesity and diabetes. The analysis also revealed that food sharing, especially with family, was regarded as one of the most significant ways to adapt to food shortages. Other coping strategies included dietary change, rationing, and changing food purchasing patterns.

In order to improve access to healthy foods, improving income and food affordability, building community enhancements and community-level initiatives were suggested. Even in a state of emergency, new models and support for Indigenous food practices can be designed and initiated. Popular examples include community-centered food kitchens, hunter support programs, goose camps, gardens, and initiatives like the Canadian Feed the Children (CFTC) who work with 26 Indigenous communities to support community-led food security. These initiatives help reduce childhood hunger by increasing access to traditional food practices, and by encouraging healthy eating.

In all, global hunger is an issue that continues to plague our world in a way that only seems to spread further and hit deeper in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of people are dying, and millions more will continue if nothing substantial is done to mitigate these effects. Global initiative and leadership must be taken immediately before we begin to see the downfall of our world caught in a crossfire between a global pandemic and simply trying to keep food on the table.