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Map: The Global Hunger Index 2011 by Severity

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a multidimensional statistical tool used to describe the state of countries’ hunger situation. The GHI measures progress and failures in the global fight against hunger.[1] The GHI is updated once a year.

The Index was adopted and further developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and was first published in 2006 with the Welthungerhilfe, a German non-profit organization (NGO). Since 2007, the Irish NGO Concern Worldwide joined the group as co-publisher.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

The 2011 GHI was calculated for 122 developing countries and countries in transition, 81 of which were ranked. Every year, the GHI report focuses on a main topic: in 2010 the Index highlighted early childhood undernutrition among children younger than the age of two. The GHI 2011 focuses on the rising and more volatile food prices of recent years and the effects these changes have on hunger and malnutrition. The report concludes that price increases and price volatility reduce poor households’ spending on a range of essential goods and services and reduce the calories they consume. Poor people’s nutrition is also affected when they shift to cheaper, lower-quality, and less micronutrient-dense foods.[8]

In addition to the yearly GHI, the Hunger Index for the States of India (ISHI) was published in 2008[9] and the Sub-National Hunger Index for Ethiopia was published in 2009.[10]

Calculation of the Global Hunger Index

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Calculation of the GHI

The Index ranks countries on a 100 point scale, with 0 being the best score ("no hunger") and 100 being the worst, though neither of these extremes is achieved in practice. The higher the score, the worse the food situation of a country. Values less than 4.9 reflect "low" hunger, values between 5 and 9.9 reflect "moderate" hunger, values between 10 and 19.9 indicate "serious" hunger, values between 20 and 29.9 are "alarming", and values exceeding 30 are "extremely alarming".

The GHI combines three equally weighted indicators: 1) the proportion of the undernourished as a percentage of the population; 2) the prevalence of underweight children under the age of five; and 3) the mortality rate of children under the age of five.[7]

The data used for the 2011 GHI are for the period from 2004 to 2009 – the most recent available global data for the three components of the GHI. The data on the proportion of undernourished come from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and IFPRI (estimates) are for 2005-2007.[11] Data on underweight of children under 5 are based on data from 2004-2009 collected by the World Health Organization (WHO),[12] UNICEF[13] and MEASURE DHS[14] and data on child mortality are for 2009 from UNICEF[15]. The 2010 GHI, the recalculated base value of the 1990 GHI as well as the values of 1996 and 2001 are not directly comparable to previously calculated GHI values. The values reflect the latest revised data for the three components of the GHI and include estimates where original source data were not available, based on the most recent data available.

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Comparing Regional Results for the GHI from 1990 to 2011

The 2011 GHI report shows how the hunger situation has developed since 1990 at global, regional, and national levels. Globally, the GHI fell by more than one fourth from 19.7 in 1990 to 14.6 in 2011. The global GHI 2010 had been 15.1. Regardless of this positive trend, the global fight against hunger is not reaching its goals fast enough. 29 countries still have an alarming (20-29.9) or extremely alarming (≥ 30) hunger situation. The global averages hide dramatic differences among regions and countries. The 2010 GHI had fallen by 18% in Sub-Saharan Africa compared with the 1990 GHI, by about 25% in South Asia, and by 39% in the Near East and North Africa. Progress in Southeast Asia and Latin America was especially great, with the GHI decreasing by over 44%. The GHI in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States has fallen by 47% since 1996.

Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia share the highest regional GHI scores (22.9 and 21.7 respectively), but food insecurity in the two regions stems from different reasons: In South Asia, the major problem is a high prevalence of underweight children under five, which is a result of lower nutrition and educational status of women. In contrast, the high GHI in Sub-Saharan Africa is due to high child mortality rates and the high proportion of people who cannot meet their calorie requirements because of bad governance, conflicts, political instability, and high HIV/AIDS rates.

The highest regional GHI score can be found in South Asia. After a rapid decrease between 1990 and 1996, scores in that region have not changed much despite economic growth over the same period. According to the report, progress is inhibited by social inequality and the low nutritional, educational, and social status of women. Slightly better numbers in Sub-Saharan Africa stem from the end of a several conflicts in in the 1990s and 2000s, economic growth, and successes in fighting AIDS.

Ranking

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Countries with extremely alarming (GHI ≥ 30), alarming (GHI between 20.0 and 29.9) or serious (GHI between 10.0 and 19.9) hunger situation
Rank Country Global Hunger Index[7]
1990 1996 2001 2011
1 Dominican Republic 14,2 11,7 10,9 10,2
2 Swaziland 9,1 12,3 12,6 10,5
3 Vietnam 25,7 21,4 15,5 11,2
4 Mongolia 16,3 17,7 14,8 11,4
5 Philippines 19,9 17,5 14,1 11,5
6 Lesotho 12,7 13,9 13,8 11,9
7 Bolivia 17 14,6 12,5 12,2
8 Indonesia 18,5 15,5 14,3 12,2
9 Mauritania 22,7 16,9 16,9 12,7
10 Botswana 13,4 15,5 15,9 13,2
11 Republic of the Congo 23,2 24,2 16 13,2
12 Senegal 18,7 19,7 19,3 13,6
13 Namibia 20,3 18,7 16,3 13,8
14 Guatemala 15,1 15,8 15,1 14
15 Sri Lanka 20,2 17,8 14,9 14
16 Benin 21,5 20,2 16,9 14,7
17 Gambia 15,8 20,3 16,4 15
18 Nigeria 24,1 21,2 18,2 15,5
19 Myanmar 29,2 25,4 22.5 16.3
20 Uganda 19 20,4 17,7 16,7
21 Tadschikistan — 24,4 24,5 17
22 Burkina Faso 23,7 22,5 21,7 17,2
23 Guinea 22,4 20,3 22,4 17,3
24 Cameroon 21,9 22,4 19,4 17,7
25 Zimbabwe 18,7 22,3 21,3 17,7
26 Ivory Coast 16,6 17,6 16,4 18
27 Malawi 29,7 27,1 22,4 18,2
28 Kenya 20,6 20,3 19,9 18,6
29 North Korea 16,1 20,3 20,1 19
30 Guinea-Bissau 21,7 22,3 22,8 19,5
31 Mali 27,9 26,3 23,2 19,7
32 Cambodia 31,7 31,4 26,3 19,9
33 Nepal 27,1 24,6 23 19,9
34 Togo 26,6 22,2 23,6 20,1
35 Laos 29 25,2 23,6 20,2
36 Tanzania 23,1 27,4 26 20,5
37 Pakistan 25,7 22 21,9 20,7
38 Rwanda 28,5 32,7 25,2 21
39 Liberia 23,5 26,9 25,8 21,5
40 Sudan 29,2 24,7 25,9 21,5
41 Djibouti 30,8 25,8 25,3 22,5
42 Madagascar 24,4 24,8 24,8 22,5
43 Mozambique 35,7 31,4 28,4 22,7
44 Niger 36,2 36,2 30,8 23
45 India 30,4 22,9 24,1 23,7
46 Sambia 24,7 25 27,6 24
47 Angola 43 40,7 33,4 24,2
48 Bangladesh 38,1 36,3 27,6 24,5
49 Sierra Leone 33 30,5 30,7 25,2
50 Yemen 30,4 27,8 27,9 25,4
51 Comores 22,3 27,1 30,1 26,2
52 Central African Republic 27,6 28,6 27,7 27
53 East Timor — — 26,1 27,1
54 Haiti 34 32,3 26 28,2
55 Ethiopia 43,2 39,1 34,7 28,7
78 Chad 39,2 35,8 31 30,6
79 Eritrea — 37,7 37,6 33,9
80 Burundi 31,4 36,3 38,5 37,9
81 DR Congo 24 35,2 41,2 39
The Global Hunger Index is composed of the proportion of the undernourished as a percentage of the population, the prevalence of underweight children under the age of five and the mortality rate of children under the age of five (calculated average, in percentages).

Focus of the 2011 GHI: Rising and volatile food prices

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The report cites 3 factors as the main reasons for high volatility, or price changes, and price spikes of food:

  • Use of the so-called biofuels, promoted by high oil prices, subsidies in the United States (over one third of the corn harvest of 2009 and 2010 respectively) and quota for biofuel in gasoline in the European Union, India and others.
  • Extreme weather events as a result of Climate Change
  • Future trading of agricultural commodities, for instance investments in funds that speculate on price changes of agricultural products (2003: 13 Bn US Dollar, 2008: 260 Bn US Dollar).

Volatility and prices increases are worsened according to the report by the concentration of staple food exports in a few countries and export restrictions of these goods, the historically low level of worldwide cereal reserves and the lack of timely information on food products, reserves, and price developments. This lack of information can lead to overreactions in the markets. Moreover, seasonal limitations on production possibilities, limited land for agricultural production, and limited access to fertilizers and water, as well as the increasing demand resulting from population growth, put pressure on food prices.

According to the Global Hunger Index 2011 price trends show especially harsh consequences for poor and undernourished people, because they are not capable of reacting to price spikes and price changes. Reactions, following these developments, can include reduced calorie intake, withdrawal of children from school, riskier income generation such as prostitution or criminality, and the sending away of household members, who cannot be fed anymore. In addition, the report sees an alltime high in the instability and unpredictability of food prices, which after decades of slight decrease, increasingly show price spikes (strong and short-term increase).[GHI2011 1]

At a national level, food-importing countries (those with a negative food trade balance are especially affected by the changing prices.

Focus of the GHI 2010: Early childhood undernutrition

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Undernutrition among children has reached terrible levels. About 195 million children under the age of five in the developing world – about one in three children - are too small and thus underdeveloped. Nearly one in four children under age five – 129 million – is underweight, and one in 10 is severely underweight. The problem of child undernutrition is concentrated in a few countries and regions, with more than 90 percent of stunted children living in Africa and Asia. 42% of the world’s undernourished children live in India alone.

The evidence presented in the report[16] [17] shows that the window of opportunity for improving nutrition spans is the 1,000 days between conception and a child’s second birthday (that is the period from -9 to +24 months). Children who do not receive adequate nutrition during this period have greater risk of experiencing lifelong damage, including poor physical and cognitive development, poor health, and even early death. The consequences of malnutrition that occurs after the first 24 months of a child's life are, by contrast, largely reversible.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Global hunger worsening, warns UN". BBC (Europe). 14 October 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  2. ^ IFPRI/ Welthungerhilfe: The Challenge of Hunger − Global Hunger Index: Facts, determinants, and trends. Case studies of post conflict countries of Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. Bonn, October 2006.
  3. ^ IFPRI/ Concern/ Welthungerhilfe: The Challenge of Hunger 2007 − Global Hunger Index: Facts, determinants, and trends 2007. Measures being taken to reduce acute undernourishment and chronic hunger. Bonn, October 2007.
  4. ^ IFPRI/ Concern/ Welthungerhilfe: Global Hunger Index − The Challenge of Hunger 2008. Bonn, Washington D.C., Dublin. October 2008.
  5. ^ IFPRI/ Concern/ Welthungerhilfe: 2009 Global Hunger Index − The Challenge of Hunger: Focus on Financial Crisis and Gender Inequality. Bonn, Washington D. C., Dublin. October 2009.
  6. ^ a b IFPRI/ Concern/ Welthungerhilfe: 2010 Global Hunger Index The challenge of hunger: Focus on the crisis of child undernutrition. Bonn, Washington D. C., Dublin. October 2011.
  7. ^ a b c IFPRI/ Concern/ Welthungerhilfe: 2011 Global Hunger Index - The challenge of hunger: Taming Price Spikes and Excessive Food Price Volatility. Bonn, Washington D. C., Dublin. October 2011.
  8. ^ IFPRI/ Welthungerhilfe/ Concern. 2011. 2010 Global Hunger Index. Issue Brief No. 69. Washington, DC
  9. ^ Menon, Purnima / Deolalikar, Anil / Bhaskar, Anjor: India State Hunger Index (2009): Comparison of Hunger Across States
  10. ^ Schmidt, Emily / Dorosh, Paul (October 2009): A Sub-National Index for Ethiopia: Assessing Progress in Region-Level Outcomes. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI): ESSP-II Discussion Paper 5
  11. ^ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2010. State of food insecurity in the world 2010. Rome
  12. ^ WHO (World Health Organization). 2011. Global database on child growth and malnutrition. Genf.
  13. ^ UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). Childinfo statistics on child nutrition. New York.
  14. ^ MEASURE DHS. 2011. Demographic and Health Surveys. Calverton, USA.
  15. ^ UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). 2011. The State of the World's Children 2011: Adolescence – An Age of Opportunity. New York.
  16. ^ Victora, C. G., L. Adair, C. Fall, P. C. Hallal, R. Martorell, L. Richter und H. Singh Sachdev für die Maternal and Child Undernutrition Study Group. 2008. Maternal and child undernutrition: Consequences for adult health and human capital. The Lancet 371 (9609): 340–57
  17. ^ Victora, C. G., M. de Onis, P. C. Hallal, M. Blössner und R. Shrimpton. 2010. Worldwide timing of growth faltering: Revisiting implications for interventions. Pediatrics 125 (3): 473.

Klaus von Grebmer, Maximo Torero, Tolulope Olofinbiyi, Heidi Fritschel, Doris Wiesmann, Yisehac Yohannes (IFPRI); Lilly Schofield, Constanze von Oppeln (Concern Worldwide und Welthungerhilfe): 2011 Global Hunger Index - The challenge of hunger: Taming Price Spikes and Excessive Food Price Volatility. Bonn, Washington D. C., Dublin. October 2011.

  1. ^ Chapter 3: Combating Hunger in a World of High and Volatile Food Prices, and Chapter 4: The Impacts of Food Price Spikes and Volatility at Local Levels, pages 20–41

Further reading

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  • Alkire, S. und M. E. Santos. 2010. Multidimensional Poverty Index: 2010 data. Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. .
  • Wiesmann, Doris (2004): An international nutrition index: concept and analyses of food insecurity and undernutrition at country levels. Development Economics and Policy Series 39. Peter Lang Verlag.
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