Bachar, Mariam

A Little About Me

Hi there! My name is Mariam Bachar and I am currently a 3rd-year majoring in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Design and Interaction.

Growing up half Moroccan, half Salvadoran, I've had exposure to a variety of foods. I was raised seeing my mother and aunts cook delicious pupusas from scratch. I also got to see my dad cook tagines and make Moroccan mint tea. As I've gotten older, it's become important for me to learn and embrace both my cultures cuisines, despite them being so different.

Being from an area as diverse as the Bay Area, I've also been lucky enough to have tried so many cuisines outside of my cultures too; Vietnamese, East African, Middle Eastern, and more. I feel that learning about the foods and culture of others is key to being a well-rounded person!

Outside of school, I love to...

Learn new languages 🈳, be at the beach 🌊, and spend time with friends and family! I also am passionate about design, education, and travel.

Research Paper

Food Insecurity: Causes and Consequences in Rich vs Poor Countries

The topic of my research paper will focus on the comparison of food insecurity in regards to its causes and consequences in rich countries versus impoverished countries. Using the United Kingdom and Somalia as the example nations to represent this dichotomy, I aim to show that although the causes of food insecurity are very different, and its levels of severity are drastically polar (with Somalia being on the extreme end of food insecurity), that we can draw parallels and make the case that food insecurity is a major concern around the world and more needs to be done to address it. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has been exacerbated globally and funds are being reallocated with not enough regard to the situation.

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Word Count: ~ 3049 words

Introduction

Food insecurity – the lack of access to adequate and nutritious food – is an issue that plagues countries and communities all over the world, some worse than others. Food insecurity has been an issue that’s existed likely since the dawn of time, and will continue to exist unless major innovations in sustainable eating and farming are implemented globally. The discussion of food insecurity is especially relevant to today, as economic and political agendas such as the ongoing Ukraine War have intensified existing food deserts internationally by exacerbating food prices and restricting exports of pivotal food products, such as wheat and corn. These conflicts affect both rich and poor countries alike and are equally legitimate causes for concern, however, it should be acknowledged that it typically affects the latter in more dire ways. In poor countries food insecurity impacts almost everyone because the majority of the population is marginalized. Whereas in rich countries, food insecurity affects a far smaller percentage of the overall population. In this research paper, I not only seek to explore and contrast the causes and consequences of food insecurity in “rich countries” as compared to “poor countries”, using the United Kingdom and Somalia as my dichotomy, but I also hope to bring awareness to the fact that food insecurity is not something far removed from the average person and thus is a cause that should be prioritized by all.

Background on the Topic

Food insecurity can be defined as the lack of consistent access to adequate amounts of food to sustain each person in a given household and provide them the nutrition to lead an active and healthy life. Food insecurity has a variety of causes and influences and is usually most dependent on a household’s income, with low-income households suffering the most from it. Research has shown a direct correlation to low-income and increased food insecurity, as food prices are increasingly expensive on top of other necessary household expenses, forcing some people to eat less or skip meals entirely (Human Rights Watch). Other factors that influence food insecurity are one’s employment, race/ethnicity, disability, and the overall political-economic state of their country. The consequences of food insecurity are extensive and vary by case, but some of the most common relate to malnourishment; starvation, delayed development in children (stunting and/or wasting), mental-health disorders, and obesity (Sachs 318-24). As we move forward, it should be noted that although hunger is heavily associated with food insecurity, it does not necessarily cause hunger, and hunger is just one of the possible outcomes of food insecurity – this is important to know when we dive into and compare the consequences of food insecurity.

Historically, the countries most severely affected by food insecurity are those who have a very low GDP per capita, in other words, a very low economic output of a nation per person. Data shows that African countries, particularly those in the Sub-Saharan and Horn of Africa regions, have been most impacted by food insecurity and the people most overwhelmed by it live in extremely poor and or rural areas of the countries. As of recent years, countries such as Yemen in the Middle East region have become of major concern (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). A notable trend amongst many of these countries, including Somalia, is that they have been struck by regional and domestic conflicts and wars that destabilize their government, disrupt foreign aid, and prevent basic day to day operations that enable the cultivation and access to diverse food groups. Other factors causing severe food insecurity in many of these countries are extreme weather conditions, such as drought.

Figure 1. A map of countries and their percentage of the population suffering from food insecurity in 2019. Richer countries have a very low percentage whereas impoverished countries are strikingly high.

After having a bit of knowledge into which countries experience food insecurity most severely, one should know that food insecurity exists in rich countries to an extent as well, however it should be acknowledged that it manifests differently. Firstly, food insecurity in richer countries like the United Kingdom affects a smaller portion of the population. Food insecurity in these countries are more so related to one’s socioeconomic class status, and therefore are typically isolated to certain neighborhoods and individual households. They also are not typically directly caused by a regional or domestic conflict such as war, but can be influenced by changes in economic policies. In addition to these, there are usually differences in the physical consequences of food insecurity in rich versus poor countries.

For example, we notice stunting and wasting a lot more in poor food insecure countries, whereas food insecurity in rich countries like the United Kingdom causes people to be more likely to become overweight and diabetic (British Medical Journal). Food insecurity and its consequences in rich countries is sometimes disregarded because of this difference in the physical manifestation, perhaps because obesity is also common amongst non food insecure individuals as well. There might also be a misconception that being overweight is less dangerous than being underweight, however, both are equally a major health concern. In spite of their differences, food insecurity anywhere is a call for concern and efforts must be made to help eradicate, or at the very least alleviate it.

Figure 2. A chart displaying the U.K. who has a high GDP per capita as having a low malnourished population, and the opposite is the case for Somalia, whose GDP per capita is extremely low and malnourished population is very large.

Currently, there are many initiatives to help combat food insecurity in both rich and poor countries. In the United Kingdom, most of the aid and movements are coming from U.K. based organizations. There are charities helping create and distribute food parcels that come with things like pasta, beans, fruit, and milk. There also are charity food banks that people can turn to and have slightly more options in diverse food groups to pick from. In Somalia, aid is mainly coming from various international aid organizations such as the Red Cross, CARE, African Relief Fund (ARF), and World Food Program USA (WFP). These organizations help by providing cash to buy the food families need, offer emergency and medical services, and even work to rebuild the food systems by training small-scale farmers. Things are being done to help but there is still an abundance of work required to fully resolve the issue.

In the next section, I will begin to more deeply analyze and explain the dichotomy of food insecurity in Somalia versus the United Kingdom.

Main Research & Body

In Somalia, food insecurity affects almost half of the country’s population (roughly 6 million people) with the root causes stemming from the nation’s prolonged drought, food shortages, and ongoing civil conflicts. Somalia has suffered from several droughts in the past decade alone, facing its fifth consecutive failed rainy season as of 2022. According to the World Bank Document, high drought-exposed households are much more likely to experience severe hunger. In general, Somali households with higher rates of drought exposure see on average an 11 percent decrease in food consumption (World Bank 7). Another consequence Somalia has seen due to the rampant drought is the high rates of livestock death. Due to the lack of water and pasture to raise livestock, many of them died, the birth rates dwindled, and others were sold due to distress selling. About 26 percent of Somalis rely on livestock for their livelihoods, and these consequences of drought have caused them to lose between 25 and 75 percent of their herds in just the first half of 2017 (World Bank 2).

Figure 3. Drought effects on hunger and food consumption.

Currently, Somalia’s food insecurity and food shortage has been exacerbated by foreign conflicts, specifically the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s conflict has drawn millions of dollars away from other global crises, leaving other situations like that in Somalia less funded and deprioritized (AP News). Additionally, Somalia has been heavily reliant upon Ukraine for 90 percent of their grain imports but as this has become standstill it further reduces the amount of food coming into Somalia. To add more fuel to the fire, Somalia has been dealing with a 3 decade long civil war in the southern and central parts of the country, and faces attacks and threats from neighboring countries, Kenya and Ethiopia. The consequences of these conflicts have been the destabilization of Somalia’s government and making it dangerous and oftentimes difficult for aid to bring food and other necessary services (“Ongoing Civil Conflict in Somalia”). With most of the population depending on food aid, diversions to incoming food deliveries caused by warlords and conflict are detrimental and arguably deadly.

As a result of these issues and the growing food insecurity in Somalia, many dire consequences have manifested in the population, such as malnutrition, displacement, and emotional distress. The most widely discussed consequence of Somalia’s situation is the severe malnutrition, starvation, and disease that is plaguing the population, especially children. As mentioned in Chapter 10 ‘Food Insecurity’ by Jeffrey Sachs in The Age of Sustainable Development, one learns that chronic undernourishment of young children is measured according to various indicators of severity. One measure is wasting, which is a low weight for height, and is a sign of life-threatening undernutrition most frequently seen in a famine. According to a 2022 UNICEF report on Somalia’s situations, children in Somalia were exposed to several health risks with wasting being one of them, increasing from 11 percent in 2021 to 16 percent in 2022. It is evident that circumstances are worsening at an alarming rate.

Wasting is a clear indicator of poor development in a child and food insecurity can have impacts in other areas including cognitive function and delaying their academics, which is seen through the approximate 4.8 million Somali children who remain out of school as of 2022 (UNICEF). Due to Somalia’s poor nutrition, much of the population has become increasingly weak and more susceptible to disease as well. A combination of water shortages and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and measles increased risks of mortality, especially among children (UNICEF). All of these factors coupled together have contributed to many Somalis being uprooted and deciding to leave their homes or the country entirely, in hopes for a chance at survival. Thousands of Somalis are currently seeking refuge in camps that are already filled with people who were displaced during Somalia’s 2011 and 2017 famines.

Figure 4. UNHCR Somalia Population Dashboard displaying numbers of displaced Somalis, refuge locations, and rates of return to Somalia

Living in such circumstances and feeling forced to leave one’s community and home is highly traumatic and causes both physical and emotional distress. Recent studies have shown increases in suicide-rates and substance abuse amongst both men and women since the onset of the civil conflicts and worsening of the country’s situation (Mental Health Crisis in Somalia). Both Somalis living in Somalia and Somalis living outside the country in refugee camps due to food insecurity and other conflicts have reported similar psychological experiences and “feelings of hopelessness, despair, anxiety and anguish as part of their symptomatology, despite not explicitly labeling such experiences and symptoms as PTSD or depression,” (Mental Health Crisis in Somalia). It’s clear that the extreme food insecurity Somalia faces is a primary contributor behind many of these horrific consequences.

Figure 5. Disease burden of substance use disorders (disability-adjusted life years per 100,000) in Somalia

Unlike Somalia and countries in similar situations, food insecurity in rich nations like the United Kingdom is not usually caused by a lack of food or civil conflicts, rather it is primarily due to economic changes, challenges and individual circumstantial inabilities to afford the cost of food. In fact, the United Kingdom is not short of food by any means, if anything there is an over abundance of food. However, a portion of the population are unable to afford and indulge, thus it is more so a case of household food insecurity (UK Food Poverty). One of the causes behind this is due to the United Kingdom’s increased and ever rising living costs, with the prices of food inflating after COVID-19 and even more with the onset of the Ukraine war in 2022. According to the UK Parliament’s House of Lords Library, food prices consistently increased for 17 months up to December 2022, specifically stating that “food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 16.9% over the period.” Even some of the lowest-cost household essential foods like pasta, tea and bread were severely inflated, which pose a threat to the most financially vulnerable portion of the population.

The trouble to afford the inflated prices of food is made more difficult by the issue of stagnating hourly wages and precarious work in the United Kingdom. For example, some agricultural workers in the UK, many of which are from Romania and Bulgaria, are working 15-hour days and sometimes in dangerous conditions for less than minimum wage. These jobs are not cutting the cost of their necessities (UK Food Poverty). Many individuals in these scenarios are forced to choose between which essentials to give up. To top it off, in 2013 the UK government decided to put a cap on the amount of welfare benefits a family can receive which has negatively impacted the income of households with children the most. According to Human Rights Watch, data showed that as a result of the UK’s benefit changes, “...single-parent and two-parent families in the poorest deciles of the population stood to lose between £580-770 and £650-825 [$711-945 and $797-1012] respectively per year.” These issues have brewed tangible consequences on portions of the UK population and are set to become worse unless change is prioritized in this sector.

Figure 6. Percentage increases in food prices from December 2021 to December 2022

The consequences of food insecurity in the United Kingdom are arguably not as extreme as those in countries like Somalia, yet, we still notice effects on the health and day to day lives of people living there. One major trend is that people are having to skip meals and eat less (UK Food Poverty). We also notice many households purchasing poorer quality food because they tend to be cheaper than organic and sustainably produced food. According to a 2021 research study by the University of York on healthy eating in low-income UK households, many of the participants had good knowledge about healthy diets, but simply could not afford to buy what was needed to maintain a recommended healthy diet. This has unfortunately contributed to malnourishment in both adults and children, and we are noticing increasing rates of obesity in the UK. Additionally, in the class reading "Glocalization of Subway in India: How a US giant has adapted in the Asian subcontinent” by Simi, we read how convenience of eating has been linked to obesity. It may be that many of the UK’s food insecure households feel it more convenient to buy cheap take out instead of cooking all the meals at home, which overtime will contribute to weight gain. However, it should be noted that the relationship between food insecurity and obesity is not straightforward and that the rise of obesity in food insecure areas can be caused by several factors such as overeating as a coping mechanism (Keenan).

These poor eating habits are a direct result from food insecurity and are a major call for concern, as they put individuals at an increased risk of developing health conditions. such as cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes (O’Dowd). Another big issue that results from food insecurity in the UK is its impact on children’s health, well-being and academic outcomes. In 2018, a public health study titled, “Child food insecurity in the UK: a rapid review” showed that 5 out of 11 participants from food insecure households had detrimental effects to their academics. Notably, they found “lower intelligence quotient (IQ) scores, lower reading or maths scores, lower school attendance, and dropping out of high school more frequently.” This goes to show how deep the impact of food insecurity can have on various aspects of one’s life, from financial, physical, and mental.

Figure 7. Children living in the most deprived parts of England are more likely to be obese. Among reception (ages 4-5) children in 2021/22, 6.2% of those in the least deprived areas were obese compared with 13.6% of those in the most deprived areas.

Although food insecurity in countries like Somalia and the United Kingdom have very different causes and levels of severity, we can acknowledge their parallels and agree that food insecurity needs to be addressed everywhere and from the root. The first thing to acknowledge is whether it be in an impoverished country, or a rich country, is how the poor are always the most vulnerable and severely affected by food insecurity. The second parallel is how malnourishment of all kinds, whether it be obesity or starvation, is life-threatening and poses developmental risks to children and diseases to adults as well. Without the proper interventions, life spans can be reduced. Thirdly, the global economic system and catastrophic effects such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, are making the situations inside these respective countries much worse, and more initiative is going to be needed to tackle all of these issues.

Conclusion & Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, understanding the impact of food insecurity on individuals and communities is crucial for addressing this pressing issue. While developed countries like the United Kingdom also face food insecurity, underdeveloped nations like Somalia suffer more severely. It is therefore essential to prioritize aid and support for these countries, given their limited resources and infrastructure. Although many initiatives are in place to address food insecurity in both rich and poor countries, such as food banks, food parcel services, and teaching small scale farmers, as we move forward, we need to ensure collaborative efforts between countries. This is needed to combat food insecurity, which includes increasing access to affordable and nutritious food, improving agriculture and food production practices, reducing food waste, and supporting policies that prioritize food security. Ultimately, ensuring that everyone has access to adequate and nutritious food is not just a moral imperative but also a critical step in achieving sustainable development and creating a more equitable world.

Works Cited

Aceves-Martins, Magaly, et al. “Child Food Insecurity in the UK: A Rapid Review.” Public Health Research, vol. 6, no. 13, Nov. 2018, pp. 1–162, doi:https://doi.org/10.3310/phr06130.

Baker, Carl. “Obesity Statistics.” House of Commons Library, UK Parliament, 12 Jan. 2012, researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03336/SN03336.pdf.

Guha-Sapir, Debarati, and Ruwan Ratnayake. “Consequences of Ongoing Civil Conflict in Somalia: Evidence for Public Health Responses.” PLoS Medicine, vol. 6, no. 8, Aug. 2009, p. e1000108, doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000108.

Human Rights Watch. “Nothing Left in the Cupboards | Austerity, Welfare Cuts, and the Right to Food in the UK.” Human Rights Watch, 19 June 2019, www.hrw.org/report/2019/05/20/nothing-left-cupboards/austerity-welfare-cuts-and-right-food-uk.

Ibrahim, M., et al. “Mental Health Crisis in Somalia: A Review and a Way Forward.” International Journal of Mental Health Systems, vol. 16, no. 1, Feb. 2022, doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00525-y.

“In Their Own Words: Displaced by Drought in Somalia | International Rescue Committee (IRC).” Www.rescue.org, www.rescue.org/article/their-own-words-displaced-drought-somalia#:~:text=While%20Somalia%20is%20facing%20its. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Keenan, Gregory S., et al. “Household Food Insecurity, Diet Quality, and Obesity: An Explanatory Model.” Obesity, vol. 29, no. 1, Nov. 2020, doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23033.

Sachs, Jeffrey. The Age of Sustainable Development. Columbia University Press, 2015, p. Chapter 10 “Food Insecurity.”

Scott, Edward. “Cost of Living: Food Price Inflation.” House of Lords Library, UK Parliament, 10 Feb. 2023, lordslibrary.parliament.uk/cost-of-living-food-price-inflation/#:~:text=Food%20prices%20had%20risen%20consistently,December%202021%20and%20December%202022.

Simi, Demi, and Jonathan Matusitz. “Glocalization of Subway in India: How a US Giant Has Adapted in the Asian Subcontinent.” Journal of Asian and African Studies, vol. 52, no. 5, Aug. 2015, pp. 573–85, doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0021909615596764.

“Somalia.” World Food Program USA, www.wfpusa.org/countries/somalia/#:~:text=Over%206%20million%20Somalis%20are. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

“Somalia Situation Reports 2022.” Www.unicef.org, www.unicef.org/somalia/reports/somalia-situation-reports-2022#:~:text=January%20%2D%20December%202022&text=In%202022%2C%20children%20in%20Somalia. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Insecurity - Healthy People 2030 | Health.gov.” Health.gov, 2020, health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/food-insecurity.

“UK Food Parcel.” Human Appeal, humanappeal.org.uk/donate/projects/food-security/uk-food-parcel. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

“UK Food Poverty: The Right to Food Is a Human Right | War on Want.” Waronwant.org, waronwant.org/news-analysis/uk-food-poverty-right-food-human-right?gclid=Cj0KCQiAutyfBhCMARIsAMgcRJTrm8852WBYrCl2fv6ThL6TbQgXg8Z712F4tod46Epoz8m4WPn-wEsaAjRYEALw_wcB. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Utz Johann Pape. Impact of Drought on Poverty in Somalia. World Bank, 2019.

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