The state of world hunger

Three distinct but related concepts have been used to estimate the numbers of people affected by hunger and to analyze the global food situation: food shortage, food poverty, and food deprivation. They focus on different aspects of the phenomenon of hunger and different levels of aggregation involved in its study. Food shortage occurs when total food supplies within a designated area--the world as a whole or continents, countries, or regions within countries--are insufficient to meet the needs of its population. Food poverty refers to the situation in which households cannot obtain enough food to meet the needs of all their members. Food deprivation refers to inadequate individual consumption of food or specific nutrients, also known as undernutrition. The relationships between food shortage, food poverty, and food deprivation are complex. If a region suffers a food shortage, some households will be food poor, and at least one household member will suffer food deprivation. Conversely, food poverty also can (and does) occur within regions where there is no aggregate food shortage, and individual food deprivation can occur in households that are not food poor. The key factor in both cases is distribution.