World Hunger and Malnutrition Continue

The World Food Council was created as the coordinator and implementor of resolutions passed at the 1974 World Food Conference in Rome. The Council is responsible for publicizing the needs, encouraging actions, seeking support, and coordinating the participation of nations and international organizations regarding world food problems. The billion-dollar International Fund for Agricultural Development began operations in 1977 with commitments of $436 million from oil-exporting countries, $200 million from the United States, and $367 million from other developed countries.

Although a great deal has been accomplished to alleviate world hunger and malnutrition since the 1974 Conference, increases in food production have not reached the modest goals which were set. Attitudes of complacency and lack of political will are evident; calls to reduce military expenditures have not been successful; continued population growth has worsened the balance between food supplies and population growth; and efforts to include women in food and development projects have been minimal. Moreover, a unique situation exists wherein available funds tend to exceed suitable projects. Food production assistance increased 3.1 percent in 1976, with only a 1.2 percent increase in the most needy countries. Malnutrition is even more prevalent in the world today due to a lack of understanding of nutrition, the low priority it receives, and lack of an overall assessment of nutritional problems. A long overdue international wheat agreement and a food aid convention are needed. Little has been accomplished in the area of food trade due to export restrictions in developing countries, and fear of political and economic repercussions. Although funds for agrarian reform and rural development have increased impressively since 1973, progress has been slow because identification and preparation of suitable projects has not kept pace with the available funds. The issues of hunger and malnutrition no longer have the visibility or priority they had at the time of the 1974 Conference, despite the fact that the problem is just as serious now as it was then.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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