Poverty

==== Hunger ====
[[File:Hunger Map 2020 World Food Programme.svg|thumb|Percentage of population suffering from hunger, [[World Food Programme]], 2020|alt=|300px]]
{{Main|Hunger}}
{{See also|Malnutrition}}

It is estimated that 1.02 billion people go to bed hungry every night.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20568/icode/|title=1.02 billion people hungry|website=fao.org|date=19 June 2009|access-date=21 June 2011|archive-date=17 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117211313/http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/20568/icode/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the [[Global Hunger Index]], Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest child malnutrition rate of the world's regions over the 2001–2006 period.<ref name="ghi2008">{{cite web |url = http://www.ifpri.org/publication/challenge-hunger-2008-global-hunger-index |title = 2008 Global Hunger Index Key Findings & Facts |year = 2008 |access-date = 20 September 2010 |archive-date = 19 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171019143346/http://www.ifpri.org/publication/challenge-hunger-2008-global-hunger-index |url-status = live }}</ref>

Poor people spend a [[Engel's law|greater portion of their budgets]] on food than wealthy people and, as a result, they can be particularly vulnerable to increases in [[food prices]]. For example, in late 2007, increases in the price of grains<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7284196.stm |title=The cost of food: Facts and figures |work=BBC News |date=16 October 2008 |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=20 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120025945/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7284196.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> led to [[2007–2008 world food price crisis|food riots]] in some countries.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Watts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/dec/04/china.business |title=Riots and hunger feared as demand for grain sends food costs soaring |work=The Guardian |location=Beijing |date=4 December 2007 |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=1 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901074034/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/dec/04/china.business |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3500975.ece |title=Already we have riots, hoarding, panic: the sign of things to come? |work=The Times |location=London |date=7 March 2008 |access-date=21 June 2011 |first=Carl |last=Mortished |archive-date=14 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814134028/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3500975.ece |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Julian |last=Borger |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/feb/26/food.unitednations |title=Feed the world? We are fighting a losing battle, UN admits |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=26 February 2008 |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=25 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225150554/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/feb/26/food.unitednations |url-status=live }}</ref> Threats to the supply of food may also be caused by drought and the [[Water security|water crisis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42387/story.htm |title=Vanishing Himalayan Glaciers Threaten a Billion |website=Planetark.com |date=5 June 2007 |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=29 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429073719/http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42387/story.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Intensive farming]] often leads to a vicious cycle of exhaustion of [[erosion|soil fertility]] and decline of [[agricultural yields]].<ref>''Exploitation and Over-exploitation in Societies Past and Present'', Brigitta Benzing, Bernd Herrmann</ref> Approximately 40% of the world's [[agricultural land]] is seriously degraded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2006/Update61.htm |title=The Earth Is Shrinking: Advancing Deserts and Rising Seas Squeezing Civilization |publisher=Earth-policy.org |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810034949/http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2006/Update61.htm |archive-date=10 August 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ian |last=Sample |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/aug/31/climatechange.food |title=Global food crisis looms as climate change and population growth strip fertile land |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=31 August 2007 |access-date=24 October 2010 |archive-date=29 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429094959/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/aug/31/climatechange.food |url-status=live }}</ref> Goal 2 of the [[Sustainable Development Goals]] is the elimination of hunger and undernutrition by 2030.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/ |title=Goal 2: Zero Hunger |last=Martin |website=United Nations Sustainable Development |language=en-US |access-date=25 April 2019 |archive-date=10 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210035826/https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/ |url-status=live }}</ref>