That's three times the number of people killed in all wars fought in the entire 20th century. Virtually every country in the world has the potential of growing sufficient food on a sustainable basis. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has set the minimum requirement for caloric intake per person per day at 2350. Worldwide, there are 2720 calories available per person per day. Most of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Malnutrition can severely affect a child's intellectual development.
Children who have stunted growth due to malnutrition score significantly lower on math and language achievement tests than do healthy children. In 1998 in developing countries, about 130 million eligible children out of a total 625 million did not attend primary school. 73 million of those children are girls. An average six-year old girl in a developing country can expect to attend school for 7.7 years, compared with 9.3 years for a boy. Educated girls usually have smaller families when they grow up, and healthier pregnancies.