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Throughout history, Bolivia has been consistently known for being one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the world. Due to their socioeconomic conditions, high unemployment rate and income inequality, it's no surprise that 22.7% of Bolivia's population struggles with malnutrition, and more than 25% of Bolivian children under the age of 3 are malnourished. Largely due to malnutrition, infant, child, and maternal mortality rates in Bolivia are the second highest in the hemisphere. According to a UN Committee, "the roots of the problem of hunger and malnutrition are not lack of food but lack of access to available food, inter alia, because of poverty."" The reason Bolivia is so unique compared to other countries in Latin America, is it seems to be the only one in Latin America suffering from high death rates due to malnutrition. With a poverty stricken population and lack of funding to help those who don't have the resources for good nutrition, it is hard for Bolivia to quickly recover from their current state. .
From a geographical point of view, the country's location in the tropics combined with dramatic variations in climate results in a wide range of ecosystems. But even though Bolivia is technically classified as a tropical climate, it has become a landscape for limited agriculture and cultivation. According to the FSD, "One of the most pressing environmental sustainability concerns in Bolivia is soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods, including slash and burn agriculture. Over the past few decades, use of chemical fertilizers and overexploitation of renewable resources has all but destroyed the sustainability of agricultural lands in the Cochabamba region by creating a gaping deficit between nutrients added and nutrients taken from the soil. Due to the very poor soil quality, local agricultural communities surrounding Cochabamba produce consistently low crop yields year after year, afflicting the health of local farmers, their children, and the land they live on" (Foundation for Sustainable Development).
