Knowledge, Technology and World Food Security 

Paper No. 99-03 D. Gale Johnson / University of Chicago 15apr99

D. Gale Johnson < dg-johnson@uchicago.edu >

Dr. Johnson is the Eliakim Hastings Moore Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus and Director of the Undergraduate Program, Department of Economics and the College, The University of Chicago. She has an amazing CV that spans about 60 years in academia, as a consultant and economic advisor on countless governmental committees; has served as director and on boards of directors of many organizations dealing with food and economic issues; and has numerous honorary designations. See http://www.src.uchicago.edu/users/gjohn for more information.

Excerpt
"..the world is a bountiful place providing sufficient plenty to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. And this has largely been accomplished where there is political stability and people live in peace."

Conclusion

The vast majority of the world's people are far better fed than ever before. This is true even of the poorest people in developing countries, if peace prevails. True, there are people who are malnourished. But lack of available calories has only a modest role, if any. The primary sources of malnourishment is lack of income and the absence of certain micronutrients in the foods available to them. The majority of the individuals classified as malnourished by international agencies live in rural areas and most are farmers or farm laborers.

Food security for those who are now malnourished will be achieved primarily through improving the incomes of rural people. This can come about by improvements in education in 31 rural areas and by halting national policies that still discriminate against farmers. Such discrimination is much less than it was two or three decades ago, but it still exists in all too many countries.

source: http://www.src.uchicago.edu/users/gjohn/ 18dec01