Malnutrition is the leading health risk among the poor, accounting for 1 in 15 deaths globally (WHO 2002:54). Of the 1.1 billion people living below the “dollar-a-day” threshold, 780 million suffer from chronic hunger (FAO et al. 2002:8). Because they are often marginalized in society, women and female children in particular may eat last and eat less than the principal breadwinner in the family. Undernourishment of women and children alone accounts for almost 10 percent of the global burden of disease (WHO 2002:54; Economist 2004:68).

Hunger is not only an outcome of poverty but a prime cause for remaining in poverty. Chronically hungry people are less productive at whatever labor they are able to obtain, and thus find it harder to accumulate the financial capital they need to take them out of poverty (FAO et al. 2002:10). The effects of poverty reach across generations as well. Children suffering from malnutrition may suffer physical stunting and impeded cognitive development, and are more susceptible to other forms of disease, both during youth and later in life. An estimated 40-60 percent of children in developing countries suffer from iron deficiencies severe enough to impede cognitive development (Economist 2004:68; WHO 2001:7-8). These disabilities are likely to limit their capacity to generate income in the future, extending the cycle of poverty for yet another generation (FAO 2002:10; WHO 2002:53).