If you'd like a small taste of what it's like to try and feed your family in the
places in the world that suffer starvation, try this simulation:

http://www.3rdworldfarmer.com/


The problem is indeed complicated.  I do suggest you try the simulation--see how
many times your family starves before you can make it work.

Another problem not yet addressed is the "brain drain."  Even if you are able to
provide education, when someone in these nations is given an opportunity, they
will often leave and go to more stable countries.  The result is that those who
obtain education and might have been able to help the nation tend to leave, and
never return.

History is also a large obstacle.  In many nations, the presence of Westerners
is not a welcome one.  The long history of colonialism and Western
ethno-centrism has a left a deep scar on much of the "third-world".  Even
outright charitable gifts are suspect, and more complicated endeavors are even
less trusted.

Famine is rarely caused by drought or the inability to produce food, because
people settle in places where food is available.  Famine is caused by war,
corruption, and other forms of societal injustice.  Unfortunately these
problems are far more complicated, and there is no universal answer for all of
them.

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