In the twenty-first century, hunger seems to be a thing of the past. Poorer nationals today are far better off compared to even a hundred years ago; the revolution in agricultural technology and technology in general has led the world to become sufficient in crop production.

However, this abundance is still not enjoyed by a subsection of people. Globally, between 713 and 757 million people faced hunger (≈ 9.1% of the global population), according to a report published in 2023 by the UN. Along with this large number, along with this tragic number, another UN report showed that we waste about 20% of edible produce yearly. 

This means the world has a long way to go in order to eradicate hunger and it bears the responsibility of not utilising its resources effectively and equitably. For this reason, World Food Day is observed each year on 16 October, marking the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. 

The devastating effect of starvation 

The 757 million facing hunger does not only extend to them not having enough to eat; rather, going hungry has generational consequences. Various anthropological studies have shown historical famine has affected the health of entire populations even after recovering from it. 

Food is a physiological necessity, which means a deficiency of it will affect the body, stunting its growth and development and leading it to be vulnerable to various diseases. A cohort study was conducted in Bangladesh in partnership with Queen Mary University of London and the Health System and Population Studies Division, ICDDR,B, where researchers found a substantial relationship between famine exposure and long-term metabolic changes. 

The research correlates to other anthropological studies where the Dutch Hunger Winter 1944–45, the Chinese Great Famine 1959–61, and the Ukrainian Holodomor 1932–33 were observed. All of these studies showed that food shortages and famines are associated with higher risk of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

The current trend of type 2 diabetes being prevalent in Bangladesh also has relations with the 1943 famine; this finding was reported in the Guardian, which showcased the direct link to British colonialism and its role in causing the higher trend of type 2 diabetes through the famines of 1876 and the Bengal famine of 1943.

Therefore, the shortages of food and malnutrition are not just matters for empathy. It extends beyond just the current generation and has a long-lasting impact. 

The genetic impact is not limited to metabolic diseases. Epigenetic studies also show food shortages directly stagnating brain development and body growth. Malnutrition in all its forms continues to be a key barrier to health, development, and productivity, especially affecting children and women. The global prevalence of stunting (low height for age) in children under 5 is ~23.2% in 2024, according to the UN report. 

The responsibility of the colonial rich

Although we live in a continuously developing environment with newer and more innovative technologies being implemented in agriculture and farms, we must also acknowledge that the distribution of nutrition among the world’s poorest is not equitable at all.

Therefore, producing more is not the barrier; rather, it is a nuisance. Abundance in one area does not lead to the emancipatory attitude that was hoped of generating from it rather it begets greed and reluctance. 

The policymakers hold a historic responsibility to ensure adequate nutrition for the global poor. Because the abundance some nations enjoy did not come from just “producing more.” It came from colonial practices with derogatory business dealings and outright slave trading. 

The large wetlands of Asia fed Europe through the 17th and 18th centuries. As they developed and as the Renaissance came upon them, largely as a byproduct of food security, it became their inalienable burden to ensure that the land from which they had extorted this renaissance of ideas be well fed. Otherwise, their role in the so-called liberalisation of the world will be proven to be nothing more than an empty slogan.