Final answer:
The process for feeding the world over 100 years ago involved reliance on processed food sold by overseers rather than self-sufficiency in farming, leading to nutritional deficiencies. Economic and political factors influenced food distribution and scarcity.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Gary Smith, the process for feeding the world more than 100 years ago did not involve an organized effort to distribute food to countries and demand payment, letting countries fend for themselves, directly teaching countries how to farm and ranch, or providing only seeds to countries in need. Instead, the historical context suggests that people became dependent on food sold by European and American overseers that was often highly processed and lacked nutrients, leading to dietary deficiency diseases. Farmers growing cash crops could not raise enough food to feed themselves and those engaged in extracting resources for Europeans did not have time to grow crops, further exacerbating dependence on overseers for food.
Additionally, the reliance on agricultural production with its inherent vulnerabilities like crop failure and weather extremes has historically caused famine and scarcity. Macroeconomic policies, or the lack thereof, have played a significant role in food distribution issues, suggesting that food provision strategies were not consistently aimed at teaching agricultural self-sufficiency but were rather influenced by economic and political factors.