The relationship between hunger and poverty is often misunderstood. First , there is the notion that hunger is only a result of poverty. This notion ignores the reality that for most of the hungry poor, hunger itself is a cause of poverty.
Hunger is a constraint to their economic and social development.
Hunger and poverty have a two-way relationship. They feed off each other. Ignoring this relationship can lead to inappropriate or inadequate policy responses to the problems of hunger and poverty. Second , it is often said that the most abundant asset the poor have is their labour, which they can use to earn a living. However, if hunger means that their potential labour power is ineffective, the poor do not really have an asset and will thus remain trapped in hunger and poverty.