Mariyah Mossman 7/2/21 UN Sustainability Goal Current Event The Pandemic Has Worsened Brazil's Hunger Crisis Beatriz Miranda Brazil - June 17, 2021 Summary The main points of this article are about the toll that Covid-19 has taken on Brazil and their hunger issue. Recent studies have shown that 60% of the country's population, or 125 million people, are not able to have 3 meals a day. Less people are able to afford buying food of quality which has led to a 40% decrease in consumption of fruits, and a 36% decrease in consumption of vegetables. The impacts of the pandemic has led many to be unemployed, and have a lack of support for their families, many people are losing their jobs and their businesses. The government failed to effectively address the impacts of the pandemic, and although there was an emergency welfare given out, it has been inconsistent. The president of Brazil, Michel Temer, is also seen as a problem giving into this issue as the former president of Brazil's National Council of Food and Nutritional Security has said “There has been an economic crisis since 2015, which has only worsened after Temer took office” (Miranda 17 June 2021). Many food campaigns across the country have been distributing millions of meals but the demand is much bigger than donations. Lots of people have been asking for food but the donations are going down. Geography This article does not talk much about the geographic location in which Brazil is located but Brazil's location in South America is key. The size of Brazil, as well as the government and the culture of this country all play key roles in the hunger issue occurring. Brazil is overpopulated leading to not much farming happening at all. The lack of agriculture amongst the community affects the ability of people to be able to feed themselves. The lack of help from the government also does not help this issue because the government has failed to effectively address the economic impacts of the pandemic. Unemployment as well as the lack of support of informal workers which are forced to stay home and the shutting down of small businesses throughout Brazil have contributed to the deterioration. The government does not help the people who have lost their jobs through the pandemic and the lack of assistance for months on end has left more people suffering from hunger. Parents lose their jobs, and are unable to feed their children, as well as the elders that they are taking care of. This was a root cause of the spike in the hunger crisis of Brazil throughout the pandemic. Reaction This article affects me because I feel as though these less developed countries are struggling in ways I could never have imagined that someone struggles. I am greatly affected by the article because I feel for all the children that have to suffer from hunger and cannot do anything about it. Hunger in Brazil does not have a big impact on Hawaii because the country is far away but if Hawaiians get informed on this issue they would feel as I do. The world is also greatly affected by not only Brazil's hunger problem, but the hunger crisis occurring in these second world countries. Many countries all over the world have a terrible hunger problem going on because of the lack of help they are receiving. Everyone should be informed of this issue, especially because help-less people such as children are suffering. Six in ten Brazilians are not able to put food on their tables. Connection/Analysis Covid-19 has deeply affected the hunger crisis that Brazil has been enduring for decades on decades. It is important for us to study history because not only are issues in the world on-going, they have been going on for thousands of years. Before the Industrial Revolution hardly anyone around the world suffered from world hunger because people would grow and catch their own food. In my Flip Notes #5 I stated, “Farming and the domestication of these animals were keen for survival for all people because that was the source of food which provided everyone with nutrition. Regions always made sure everyone was fed, even if you were a servant or a person of lower class, you always had a source of food in your stomach” (Mossman, 19). Before the Industrial Revolution, people always farmed and domesticated enough animals in order to make sure everyone in their region was fed. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, when people started to need money in order to get the food which kept them fed, the hunger issue started. John Ikerd states, “At the time of the industrial revolution, in the late 1700s, threats of hunger were commonplace throughout the world. Most people lived their often-short lives in a continuous struggle to meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter” (Ikerd, 2021). John Ikerd also states, “Hunger is an inevitable consequence of an economic system that lacks both ecological and social integrity. Persistent hunger is rooted in the economy in the means by which we manage complex relationships with each other and with nature” (Ikerd, 2021). The start of the Industrial revolution has drastically changed the way humans live and survive. Covid-19 has also drastically impacted and affected the people all over the world trying to feed their families. The jump in numbers of people suffering from hunger in Brazil alone has jumped over half the percentage in less than a decade. Beatriz Miranda of New Internationalist states, “Meagre welfare assistance has meant that around 60 per cent of the country’s population – 125 million people – are now unable to get three square meals per day. This is a major jump from 35 per cent who were food insecure in 2004, and amounts to a major reversal of the gains made in 2014, when the UN removed Brazil from the World Hunger Map.” (Beatriz, June 17 2021). With millions of people losing their jobs and sources of income, the amount of people hungry day to day has risen by a number no one could imagine. The reason that history should be studied is because the history of our world impacts us. Without learning about why the world is today no one knows about the backstory of the major problems which impact humans daily. History shapes every single person and thing in the world today. The hunger problem in Hawaii is connected to World History because everything that happened throughout history shapes what happens today. The history of the world shapes what happens today, everything from family heritage to global warming all has a basis of world hunger. The main theme of this article is that the hunger issue in Brazil has spiked but over 20% with covid-19 being a main component of this. Throughout history there have been other deadly diseases such as the Spanish flu which killed millions of people. History.com Editors state, “The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans'' (History.com Editors, 2010). Covid-19 is the most recent pandemic that our world has experienced and it has also impacted millions of people. “A coronavirus is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in your nose, sinuses, or upper throat. Most coronaviruses aren't dangerous. It spreads the same way other coronaviruses do, mainly through person-to-person contact. Infections range from mild to deadly” (Web MD, 2021). Not only has these diseases led to tons of death, but it has also led to poverty, hunger, & people not being able to support themselves. People all over the world have not been able to keep a job or make ends meet in order to feed their mouths at their table. People in Hawaii are also suffering from covid-19 because we live on an island and when breakouts do happen, they happen fast and no one has anywhere to go. Reference:
Miranda, B. (2021, June 17). The pandemic has worsened Brazil’s hunger crisis. New Internationalist. https://newint.org/features/2021/06/17/pandemic-has-worsened-brazil-hunger-crisis-fjf Other References: Ikerd, J. (2021). The Economics of Hunger. Missouri.edu. http://web.missouri.edu/~ikerdj/papers/Eastern%20Oregon-%20Econ%20Hunger.htm Mariyah Mossman: FL #5 CNOTES: Guns Germs and Steel Notes & Reflection. (2021). Mariyah Mossman: FL #5 CNOTES: Guns Germs and Steel Notes & Reflection. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H1sMzQBZ3ETB9Z2ewSLDCOUAA1oWExuq9XnlGBOAUrk/edit History.com Editors. (2010, October 12). Spanish Flu. HISTORY; HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic https://www.facebook.com/WebMD. (2013, August 7). Coronavirus and COVID-19: What You Should Know. WebMD; WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus
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