IXL Social Enterprise Case Studies Food Security January 2013 | Page 6

Food Security in Urban Slums by 2018

Poor slum dwellers struggle to get safe,
sufficient, affordable and easily accessible
food

Figure 5. The Cycle of Poverty is difficult to end

“I was teaching in one of the universities
while the country was suffering from
a severe famine. People were dying of
hunger, and I felt very helpless. As an
economist, I had no tool in my tool box to
fix that kind of situation.” Dr. Muhammad
Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank & Nobel
Laureate

For the poor slum dweller, things can go from bad to worse very quickly. Not enough money can
mean not enough good food, which creates health problems and makes people susceptible to
disease. Being ill creates lost productivity, which prevents a person from making money. It is
difficult to break this cycle of poverty (Figure 5). Food security is a daily struggle to acquire the right
amount and type of affordable food that is easy to prepare and safe to eat (Figure 6). In addition to
this daily grind, medical emergencies, loss of employment and price fluctuations can wipe out a
family’s savings.

Figure 6. Consumers have several needs to ensure food security

Version 1.0, January 2013

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