Despite significant improvements, many millions of people today are hungry and malnourished. The world population continues to grow at a rapid pace. In 1999, the official United Nations estimate for the number of people in the world exceeded 6 billion. One will see an additional 2 billion in the next 25 years, mostly from the countries that currently have the most difficulty feeding their populations (Pelletier 2). Although the world’s population increased dramatically over the last 30 years, great progress has been made in increasing the quantity and quality of the global food supply and in improving the nutritional status of populations. In the developing world, where the population has nearly doubled during this period, the proportion living in a chronic state of undernourishment has been reduced by half. Nevertheless, 790 million people, one out of five in the developing countries, still do not have enough food to meet their basic daily nutritional needs (Festering 3). Development has not benefited all people; while some countries have made great progress, hunger has increased in others, especially in those that already have the most difficulty feeding their people. Access to sufficient supplies of a variety of good-quality, safe foods is a serious problem in many countries, even where food supplies are adequate at the national level.

Valuable lessons can be learned by looking at countries that have been able to reduce hunger and by contrasting their situations with those of countries

Hunger affects the well-being of people, nations and the world. The strength of a nation depends on the strength of its people. When people are healthy, strong and well nourished, they have the energy, creativity, security and courage to work and learn, solve problems and live their daily lives with dignity and joy, ultimately advancing civilization to new heights. Well-fed citizens are productive citizens who contribute to their society. People who are not well nourished do not have the energy to work or to learn and often need constant medical care (Festering 3). The human suffering and loss of human potential are social and economic problems that no county can afford to have.

Nutritionally adequate and safe food (quality, quantity and variety) for an active and healthy life is called food security. We must create the conditions in which all people can secure the food they need and be well nourished in a dignified and sustainable way. Food security is affected by a number of factors including, primarily, the food supply and access to jobs and such basic services as education, health facilities, sanitation, clean water and safe housing (Archer

An important concept to consider is the waste of food that happens because of pests and spoilage at the commercial and home levels. Protecting the food supply from insects, rodents, moulds and spoilage can greatly decrease the amount of food available for people (Milbauer 22). Every year, poor post-harvest handling and contamination ruin millions of tons of food. Also, to produce foods such as meat and eggs, livestock need fed. This is something most people neglect to consider, although livestock eat very large amounts of food. Each year, livestock in the U.S. eat as much grain as all the people in China and India combined (Pringle 1).

World governments have committed to

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