But this does not mean that everyone gets enough to eat. The problem often is the poor distribution of food and a lack of purchasing power. Some 800 million people around the world go hungry. In Sub-Saharan Africa, despite considerable increases in the availability of food in recent years, some 240 million people (about 30% of the total) are undernourished. And in South Asia, 30% of babies are born underweight-the highest ratio for any region in the world and a sad indication of inadequate access to food, particularly for women, who are often the last to eat in the household. Table 2.1 gives selected
indicators of food security in developing countries.