This particular case study, from the source All Africa, is in regards to the starvation and malnutrition facing the people of Ethiopia (http://allafrica.com/stories/201602191414.html). Nearly 10 million people in Ethiopia are affected by hunger and Ethiopian authorities have complained of the difficulty faced in terms of ability to provide, what little food there is, to the needy because of the bustling activity in the seaport. In an attempt to fix this problem of access, the ships are required to discharge their goods more efficiently so that trucks and trains may transport their goods. The government has made food aid and fertilizers a top priority by setting aside a single dock at the seaport. The World Food Program (WFP) has delivered relief food rations to nearly 7.6 million people. Food rations are an effort to save and sustain as many lives as possible during this crisis where people have nothing else to live on. The WFP is also purchasing additional food for rationing from local farmers and traders around the region that may have a surplus. This case study relates to sustainable development and the ways in which it differs between developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries.

I used Sage Journals as the source for further information regarding starvation in regions across Asia (http://sas.sagepub.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/content/14/1/129.full.pdf+html). In South Asia, improvements in per capita food availability along with women’s education provide the most optimistic outcomes for the future reduction in the prevalence of child malnutrition. An improved status for women is particularly prioritized as well as improvements in national income growth and democratic development. The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) has set forth aspirations in hopes of eventually eradicating this problem, but the goals will only be achieved if the international community acts now, along with political will. UNICEF strongly enforces raising nutritional issues on government agendas, using success stories such as China’s as models, and placing the primary focus on pregnant women and children under the age of two. Finally, the World Bank report suggests a number of simple solutions for improving children’s diets, such as the use of fortified foods and Vitamin A. Each of these organizations (MDG, UNICEF, and World Bank) agrees that the nutrition of children must be made a priority amongst national policies and budgets.

I currently live in State College, Pennsylvania, which is surrounded by farmland and mountains. This agricultural setting allows for sustainable development since crops are readily available. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present population and environment, without compromising the ability of prosperity to meet and maintain their own needs. People in developed countries usually live to an older age, more desirable living situation, as well as more career opportunities. Though the most common standard for comparing development is through gross domestic product (GDP), another way is based on the comparison of various health statistics between developed, developing, as well as underdeveloped countries. Generally, money and health are directly correlated, which is evident when comparing development between State College and Ethiopia or South Asia. The more developed area, State College, does not have as large a problem with hunger as underdeveloped countries. Agriculture in an area is also important for availability of food and supplies for maintenance of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The increase in food and supplies in State College, as compared to Ethiopia and South Asia, allows for growth of a larger population to be adequately maintained, as well as the availability of society to focus on tasks other than producing food.