The biggest contributor to hunger worldwide, in both high- and low-income nations, is poverty. Most of those who are hungry reside in extreme poverty, which is defined as having a daily income of $2.15 or less. One in five children worldwide and more than 650 million people in emerging nations live in extreme poverty.
Smallholder farmers in emerging nations are the largest segment of the global population living in extreme poverty. They lack the acreage necessary to cultivate enough food to feed themselves throughout the year, and the little money they make selling what they grow makes it impossible for them to afford to buy food from outside sources once their own supply runs out.
Despite the fact that there is enough food for everyone in the world, developing nations frequently face shortages because of war, economic shocks, and natural disasters like earthquakes, flooding, or drought. Smallholder farmers who rely on their own excess to subsist in between harvests are those who will be most negatively impacted by this disruption in food supplies. The “hunger season” is the time leading up to a harvest. As the previous harvest runs out, families reduce the number of meals they eat. Depending on the quantity of the prior harvest, this time frame could stretch for several months. Giving smallholder farmers the resources and tools they need to enhance their food production has the potential to have a significant impact. Family farmers who are able to produce more food and food that is higher in nutrition have surplus produce to sell to others, which generates cash they may use to pay for better housing, healthcare, and tuition costs.
Families in the U.S. with extremely low incomes also encounter food shortages. At the end of the month, they run out of money, and they frequently have to miss meals until their next payday.