Can Molecular Gastronomy Help Alleviate the Prevalence of World Hunger?

Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2017 in the subject Instructor Plans: Gastronomy / Hospitality / Tourism, grade: mention très bien, Reims University (University of Reims), course: Diplome D'Universite du Gout, de la Gastronomie et des Arts de la Table, Université Reims Champagne Ardennes, France and Le cordon Bleu, Paris, language: English, abstract: Around 35 years ago, world humanitarian organizations pledged to cut the 1 billion hungry people into half its number by 2015. The world fell short of its promise. Millions still die from starvation and millions of children, under 5 years old are stunted and wasted.

World Hunger's disastrous never ending loop of cyclical poverty, starvation and malnourishment are primarily caused by natural disasters, like drought, floods and pestilence; by ignorance; by continuous wars; and by poor living conditions wrought from negligent and corrupt national governments.

Exhaustive research on World Hunger have revealed several paradoxes: complexities in food aid programs served by best intentioned, well heeled,
multi-layered world aid organizations and developed countries have compounded difficulties wrought by unfair world trade practices and politically driven and inflexible national policies that deter timely distribution of food aid.

World Hunger persists because there are still too many poor people living in countries that are governed by weak, or corrupt, or apathetic or selfish leaders. Hunger is concentrated within marginalized smallholder farmers of Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia and Central America who need guidance and training in modern techniques of agriculture. Most need to go to school if only to learn of their rights. They need a fair trading field and if one felt benevolent, a helping hand in farming skill development, not always through patronizing gifts from an overfull barrel of goods.

Molecular Gastronomy has the invaluable ability to apply its basic scientific processes to transform perishables, grain and every form of fresh produce into portable, nutrition filled food with long shelf lives that can weather drought, flood and pestilence.

Molecular Gastronomy possesses knowledge of the processes, mechanisms, techniques to manage waste of perishable, bulky foods, reducing these to its barest components without losing foods' nutritive value. Measures can start in our own homes. The world can harness food waste and pollution, indirectly reducing negative impacts of climate change.