Some people believe that education is the key to tackling hunger worldwide, while others feel that the answer lies in food aid. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
There is an uneven distribution of food in the world today. While the developed world eats well and there are many overweight people, the opposite picture can be seen in underdeveloped countries in Asia and Africa where many people suffer from malnutrition.
Education and hunger are interlinked. If poor countries are taught about good farming practices they will be able to grow their own produce and not depend on richer nations to feed them. Farmers in rural areas can be taught about soil, irrigation methods, crop rotation, fertilizers, pesticides etc. This education will benefit them in the long run. Learning basic literacy skills is also important. Being able to read and write means that people will be able to manage their own lives and will be able to pass on their knowledge to future generations.
On many occasions food shortages cannot be controlled. Natural disasters such as droughts, floods and tsunamis occur and these can destroy crops leaving the population with nothing to eat. In these cases, immediate help is required from the rest of the world in the form of food aid in order to prevent millions dying of starvation. Unfortunately, this is only a short-term solution as it becomes expensive to feed a country for free every day. What is more, countries become dependent on foreign aid and sometimes this help does not actually reach those who need it most.
I believe solid long-term solutions are better than temporary ones. If a country is to stand on its own two feet and feed its citizens then education is needed. However, natural disasters cannot be avoided and in this case immediate food aid is required.
Question taken from Direct to IELTS Student's Book p.115
No comments:
Post a Comment