Ted Talk: The Primary Cause of World Hunger

Take a moment to think about the primary cause of world hunger. What comes to mind? What actions can we take to alleviate hunger around the world? There are 800 million hungry people in the world and 97.75% of them live on the following four continents: Africa, Asia, South America, and Antarctica. The remaining 2.25% live on the more developed continents of North America, Europe, and Australia (Ted Talk 2011).

These numbers are from Esther Ndichu’s Ted Talk titled “Hunger isn't a food issue. It's a logistics issue.” Ms. Ndichu, a humanitarian advocate who works with United Parcel Service (UPS) on global humanitarian engagements, discusses world hunger and specifically focuses on issues in Africa. Although I do not want to spoil the whole talk, Ms. Nidchu does a very nice job highlighting the many drivers behind hunger and food insecurity. She challenges the generally accepted school of thought that drought is one of the only drivers of food insecurity and hunger. Take a moment to watch this short 12-minute Ted Talk and to reflect on Esther Ndichu's key points.

What were your thoughts on this Ted Talk? What actions can we take individually in our everyday lives to help combat world hunger?

Here are some key points that stuck to me while watching this Ted Talk:

• Enough food exists on Earth to feed all 7.5 billion of us, but logistics are preventing proper distribution of food getting to the right people

• Many factors play into world hunger such as storage, transportation, road networks, and international shipping

• Following harvesting, 30-40% of crops are lost annually in sub-Saharan Africa. This is due to mold, rodents, rain, and insects

• The amount of food lost in Africa could feed almost 50 million people

• Sometimes not all crops grown in Africa can be harvested. This is due to a lack of access to the markets and to a good supply chain. This food is wasted when really it could be a source of much needed income

• According to Esther Ndichu, the best way to achieve zero hunger globally is to have all organizations, both public and private, work together to improve supply chains



I leave with you with a quote that may change your viewpoint regarding food insecurity and hunger around the world.


"What if instead of looking at the hungry as victims, and most of them are small farmers who cannot raise enough food or sell food even to support their own families, what if we view them as the solution, as the value chain to fight hunger?" - Josette Sheeran (TED 2011).

This quote came up in Josette Sheeran's Ted Talk 'Ending hunger now.' Josette Sheeran was the former head of the UN World Food Programme. The Ted Talk is linked above if you are interested in learning more about global food insecurity issues.