The environment, of course, is the major element in the production of food in most countries across the globe. The environment in which one lives decides what types of food can be produced and how much of that food can be produced. The weather or climate in any particular environment can change and affect what people eat and how much of it they are able to eat. One change in the environment that adversely affects agriculture is soil erosion. "Some one-third of the world's cropland is loosing.
topsoil at a rate that undermines its future productivity." Topsoil is a major factor in growing most crops. It is the richest part of the soil and contains minerals and nutrients that most plants need for survival. Too much soil erosion begins a chain reaction leaving the land susceptible to drought. And as we all know, very little food can be grown on dry land. A drought not only affects plants, but as a result of lack of plants and water and in many cases extreme heat cattle are starved or die from thirst. This loss of organic matter in the land results in runoff after rainfall and increased runoff and rainfall allows for flooding. A flood, like the drought though they are opposite, wipes away crops or kills them because of the overabundance of water. People can attempt to produce food by planting and caring for their land and animals, but Mother Nature has the ultimate say and humans are unable to predict what she will do next. The next two causes of hunger we will discuss together because they coincide, population and the poor. Population is an issue not because there are too many mouths to feed, as was stated earlier, but because the hungry people of the world are the majority who have large families and continue to increase them, thus creating hungry children. "Poor people have large families for many reasons Reasons of security for their old age. Reasons about additional help on the land. Reasons concerning the cultural preference for sons.
