Final answer:
The short food supply can be caused by lack of rainfall, inefficient farming techniques, increase in population, and lack of government support. Government macroeconomic policies often fail to adequately distribute food, leading to food insecurity. Additionally, climate change and population pressures exacerbate food availability challenges in agricultural societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reasons for the short food supply and reduced rations can be attributed to multiple factors such as lack of rainfall, inefficient farming techniques, increase in population, and lack of government support. For instance, lack of rainfall can lead to poor crop yields and reduced pasture land, which, in turn, affects both farming and livestock production. Inefficient farming methods, often found in developing countries, can lead to poor utilization of available land, even though some local adaptations may be highly efficient. Furthermore, a growing population adds pressure on the limited resources, exacerbating food scarcity.
Government policies play a critical role in food distribution. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen emphasizes that oftentimes, food insecurity arises from government macroeconomic policies that fail to address distribution, inflation, employment, and rights preservation. These failures can prevent equitable access to food despite adequate production. Issues like education, particularly of women, and property rights also influence food availability and livelihoods for people, especially in agrarian economies.
In regions where climate change impacts are evident, such as northern Tanzania, pastoralists suffer due to erratic rainfall and prolonged droughts, leading to malnutrition in livestock and lower market prices. These challenges are compounded by population growth and environmental pressures such as deforestation. Without sufficient land and facing unfavorable market conditions, local populations struggle economically and nutritionally.