Eating maize-porridge day-in and day-out, wastes away more than just morale. It’s a food staple in many African countries, but on its own it cannot provide adequate nutrition.
The health problems that result from a monotonous diet, limited to rice or grains, are broad and severe – from impeded brain development, lowered immunity, and maternal deaths, to huge economic losses caused by lowered productivity.
Nutrient-based malnutrition is one of the defining traits of the current Global Food Crisis. Skyrocketing food prices have pushed nutrient-rich foods, such as fish, meat or vegetables, out of the reach of the poorest people.
Hunger is still an issue – the jump in the price of staples is staggering – but for millions of people, famine comes in the form of a diet lacking any sort of real nourishment.
Many Kiwi households are also beginning to feel the effect of the food crisis. New Zealand has seen an average increase of 8.2 per cent in grocery costs, significantly contributed to by growing cheese, milk and butter prices.
But while New Zealand households might need to cut back on luxury food items and buy only the basic necessities – with just 16 per cent of the average Kiwi household income spent on food, a varied, healthy diet is still well within our buying power.
Compare this to the 100 to 200 per cent increase in food costs that many developing nations are trying to cope with. Those living on less than $2 US a day are now spending around 75 per cent of their incomes on food. Where, before the food crisis, people might have had enough money to buy a bag of rice and a few fish for the week, now they can barely afford the rice.
So what’s going on? What’s causing this massive increase in food prices all across the world? Why now? BBC News examines these questions and more. Click here to read more.
Video: CNN story on the global food crisis
Video: Global Pulse on the global food crisis
Interactive: A feature on guardian.co.uk about the food crisis
Cartoon: The food crisis and global fuel obsession
Illustration: Civil unrest and export restrictions around the world
Article: The Economist reports on the Global Food Crisis
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