Daystar University Economics Personal Statement

Many countries around the world have developed food deficiency and food insecurity issues. Deficiency is the lack or shortage of something, so food deficiency is the shortage of food; and food insecurity is when people in an area do not have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food at all times to meet their dietary needs. There are five main factors that contribute to a country having food deficiency and food insecurity issues, these being: environmental, demographic, political, social, and economic factors. All of these factors have influenced Ethiopia to having food deficiency and food insecurity problems. Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is home to about 85 million people, and has been suffering from food deficiency and insecurity problems for quite a while. These five factors have contributed to Ethiopia’s current state, in regard to food.

Another factor that causes starvation in Ethiopia is its economy. Ethiopia is in and has always been in a very poor economic state. Crops account for 41% of the country’s GDP however; the

The issue of hunger in africa has caused major chaos around the world. The fact that families and children are left to die because there is insufficient food; therefore, families are separated and left to suffer. For example, on page 1 of “Why Africa Is Still Starving”, by Alex Perry, it states that, “From January to May, the fields were parched and brown. And one failed harvest is enough to turn Ethiopia, a nation of 66 million farmers, a humanitarian catastrophe”. Alex Perry explains how the soil of Africa is not rich enough to grow any goods or rich crops.

“There has been many causes for food insecurity like biofuel because it requires a large amount of vegetables which increases the prices for vegetables (National Center Biotechnology Information),  housing cost since the prices for rent have been increasing, unemployment because they lost their job and can’t afford food, low wages because they don’t receive enough money which they have to use for housing cost and would have to cut the cost for food, medical/health care due to them being injured and

In the United States of America, people take food for granted. Anyone can go to the local grocery store or a farmers market and buy almost every type of food produced in the world. Globalization of food in first world countries has created “food scenes” in large metropolitan areas, and we can agree that this is spreading to smaller towns every day. Anyone can think of their favorite food and everyone would give a different response, whether it would be Mexican, Italian, or a local cuisine. This is possible through technological advances in farming techniques developed to produce food year round, due to strong states of government, with policies that empower this to be true. The lack of government involvement in Malawian farms is the predominant reason for a constant state of poverty.

TEXT: Economics, Principles, Problems and Policies, 15th Edition, McConnell and Brue Video: Econ U$A series with discussion Class Activities: APIP workbook activities, reinforcement and writing activities and other teacher-developed materials This semester-long course gives students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the function of individual decision-makers, both consumers and producers, within larger economic systems. It places primary emphasis on the nature and

Uniquely emphasizing intellectual creativity and freedom, Cornell encourages students to explore its countless opportunities and helps its students flourish as critical thinkers. Since economics is connected to every other field, the College of Arts and Sciences’ core curriculum will give me the well-rounded education I need in order to succeed when studying economics. Additionally, because economics at Cornell is integrated between the ILR and CAS, I hope to utilize the unique qualities of both schools to augment my education.

My journey pursuing a PhD in finance and economics has hardly been straightforward: Although I started my undergraduate education as a film major, I quickly came to appreciate the analytical rigor found within the discipline. While a film major focuses on artistic storytelling, I developed a preference for the stories you can tell through a study of economics. While both are undoubtedly creative, my interest pivoted to this education in

Climate change which manifests itself as variations in rainfall patterns and temperature adversely impacts the economic and social survival of the majority of the population in Africa and particularly in sub Saharan Africa. Water resources, agriculture (crop production and animal husbandry), health, ecosystems and biodiversity, forestry and coastal zones are the most vulnerable areas or sectors to climate change in Africa. These are the major sources of livelihood for millions of the continent’s rural poor. Climate change remains a major threat for food security and sustainable management of natural resources. If adequate measures are not taken to adapt to the adverse consequences of climate change in sub-Sahara Africa, the region were reported to remain vulnerable to the widespread effects of climate change. If the trend is not reversed, there is predicted loss of 2-7% of GDP by 2100 in parts of sub-Sahara Africa; 2-4% and 0.4-1.3% in West and central Africa, and northern and southern Africa respectively (FAO, 2009).

Recently, Uganda’s extent of debt shows significant improvement, but not nearly enough for Uganda to become financially stable in the near future. PR Newswire corroborates this by stating “poverty levels declined in the region, but remain the highest in the world” (Food Insecurity and Poverty Pose Major Challenge). This is extremely detrimental to Uganda right now because lack of wealth prevents the country from prospering economically, becoming technologically advanced, and reducing the rates of malnutrition. Numerous factors resulting from malnutrition effects contribute to these monumental poverty levels including health care, the purchasing of nutrition groups, and the missed economic opportunities. Unlike poverty levels, hunger and malnutrition rates remain consistently low, showing little to no improvement. Some sources even believe the rates are slowly increasing, explaining that “despite sustained economic growth and poverty reduction, the proportion of the population that is food insecure increased from 19 percent in 1992 to 21 percent in 2007.” (“Uganda: Nutrition Profile”) This validates that poverty and food security levels are unrelated and “malnutrition exists in both wealthy and poor households.” (“Economic Development and Nutrition Fact Sheet”)

In the past, Uganda has constantly struggled with some of the highest poverty and hunger levels in the world. Recently, poverty levels have shown significant improvement, but not nearly enough for Uganda to become financially stable in the near future. Many sources agree with this by stating, “Poverty levels declined in the region, but remain the highest in the world.” (“Food Insecurity and Poverty Pose Major Challenge”) This is extremely detrimental to Uganda right now because lack of wealth prevents the country from prospering economically, becoming technologically advanced, and reducing the rates of malnutrition. Numerous factors resulting from malnutrition effects contribute to these monumental poverty levels including health care, the purchasing of nutrition groups, and the missed economic opportunities. Unlike poverty levels, hunger and malnutrition rates remain consistently low, showing little to no improvement. Some sources even believe the rates are slowly increasing, explaining that “despite sustained economic growth and poverty reduction, the proportion of the population that is food insecure increased from 19 percent in 1992 to 21 percent in 2007.” (“Uganda: Nutrition Profile”) This validates that poverty and food security levels are unrelated and “malnutrition exists in both wealthy and poor households.” (“Economic Development and Nutrition Fact Sheet”) Therefore, although these rates are unparalleled, Uganda is beginning to learn how to deal with and lower the

Mozambique is a poor country located in South-eastern Africa, having a population of 25, 303, 113 it suffers the risk of food insecurity. Food security is when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, that meets dietary requirements for a healthy lifestyle. Mozambique has a ‘high level ' of food insecurity, like many other countries in Africa, putting individuals, families and communities at risk. Some major factors in Mozambique that affect its food security are poor agriculture, the occurrence of natural disasters, and the presence of diseases particularly HIV and AIDS. Along with many other minor contributors such as food prices, urban migration, and pollution of surface and coastal waters.

Malawi is one of the smallest countries in Africa, located in the southeast. Malawi is one of the world’s least-developed countries, facing many challenges involving education, healthcare, finance, and environment. The main economic sector is agricultural with a majority of the population living in rural areas. Malawi experiences a high rate of HIV/AIDS, which limits the work force. Ethnic tensions and divisions have ignited periods of regional conflict. This ethnic tensions have since been decreasing. To combat these problems and an unstable economy the government relies heavily on foreign aid, but since 2000 the foreign aid to Malawi has decreased.

Agricultural Cycles: People who rely on fruits and vegetables that they produce for household food consumption (subsistence farmers) often go through cycles of relative abundance and scarcity. For many families that rely on subsistence production for survival, the period immediately prior to harvest is a 'hungry period. ' During these periods of scarcity, many families lack sufficient resources to meet their minimal nutritional needs. Being familiar with these cycles has enabled development practitioners to anticipate and prepare for periods of acute need for assistance.

This paper provides a synthesis of available information, consider major knowledge gaps and find research that useful for farmers, communities, indigenous peoples and academics. Secondly, promotes awareness of climate change and