Hunger generates hunger

8. In the developing countries, it is commonplace for populations whose livelihood depends on lowyielding subsistence agriculture, to suffer from hunger during the interval between two harvests. When earlier harvests have also been insufficient, food shortages can occur and give rise to an acute phase of malnutrition. This weakens the population physically, placing them at risk just when all their energy is required to prepare for the next harvest. Food shortages place their future in jeopardy since the people eat crop seeds, plunder natural resources, and accelerate soil erosion, degradation or desertification on their lands.

In addition to the distinction between hunger (or famine) and malnutrition, there is a third type of situation—food insecurity—which leads to famine or malnutrition by making it impossible to plan and implementing any long-term measures to foster and attain sustainable development(¹⁷).