Many people around the world suffer from absolute poverty, and inequality between countries is also widening. Food problems are serious as well.
Basic Knowledge
Absolute poverty: living on less than 2.15 dollars a day (World Bank). About 700 million people worldwide.
Relative poverty: having less than half the median income of one's country. It is also serious in developed countries (about 15% in Japan).
The North-South problem: inequality between developed countries in the Northern Hemisphere and developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere. The South-South problem: inequality among developing countries, such as between resource-rich countries and others.
Food problems: hunger and food waste exist simultaneously around the world. Japan alone discards an amount exceeding the world's food aid (food loss).
Frameworks for international assistance:
・ODA (Official Development Assistance): provided by developed countries to developing countries. The target is 0.7% of GNI
・NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) and NPOs (nonprofit organizations): private support organizations
・Fair trade: trading products from developing countries at fair prices
Absolute poverty (living on less than 2.15 dollars a day; poverty directly related to survival)
Relative poverty (less than half the median income of the country)
North-South problem (economic inequality between developed and developing countries)
ODA (Official Development Assistance)
Fair trade (trading products from developing countries at fair prices)
Food loss (food discarded despite being edible. Japan discards about 5 million tons annually)
In Depth (Background and Significance)
Poverty is not simply a lack of money; it is a multifaceted problem involving education, medical care, water and sanitation, and employment opportunities. In developing countries, limited educational opportunities for girls create cycles of poverty.
The world's food production is sufficient to feed all humanity, but hunger is not eliminated because of unequal distribution and waste. SDG Goal 2, “Zero Hunger,” and Goal 1, “No Poverty,” address these problems.
Things we can do include buying fair-trade products, participating in food drives, using all the food we buy, and making donations.
- Absolute poverty = less than 2.15 dollars a day
- Relative poverty = less than half the median income
- North-South problem = developed countries vs. developing countries
- South-South problem = inequality among developing countries
- ODA = Official Development Assistance; target of 0.7% of GNI
- NGOs and NPOs = private aid organizations
- Fair trade = fair commerce
- Japan's food loss = about 5 million tons annually
Points to Note (Easily Confused)
① Distinguish absolute poverty (below the survival line) from relative poverty (less than half the domestic median income). ② Do not confuse the North-South problem with the South-South problem. ③ Distinguish ODA (government) from NGOs (private organizations). ④ Fair trade and free trade are different concepts.
Practice
- Explain the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty.
- What does ODA stand for?
- Explain the meaning of fair trade.