Question: In spite of the advances made in agriculture, many people around the world still go hungry. Why is this the case? What can be done about this problem?
Band 8+ Sample Answer:
(Intro) It is argued that despite significant developments in agriculture, a large number of people across the globe still suffer from famine and malnutrition. I believe that two main causes of this are that some countries lack access to advanced technology, as well as the problem of political corruption. These issues can be mitigated through foreign aid in the form of technology transfer and stronger monitoring of potentially corrupt regimes.
(Body 1) One of the main causes of hunger across the world is a lack of sharing of technology. In recent decades great advances in technology have been made in developed nations such as the US, Canada and those in the EU which can dramatically increase yields and also the quality of the crops which both lead to increased profits for farmers and less risk of famine and malnutrition. However, partly due to the high costs involved, these techniques and machinery are owned and controlled by big international companies who are unwilling to give poorer countries access without paying the full price. One possible solution could be if governments of rich countries subsidised the purchase and running costs for farmers in developing countries. This would aid both, tech companies, poor farmers and reduce hunger.
(Body 2) Another potential cause of this grave situation is political corruption. Many developed countries provide significant annual foreign aid to their poorer neighbours, especially those who are struggling with a lack of food supply. Unfortunately some of these countries have unstable governments, and many of the leading politicians are corrupt. Therefore a significant proportion of the aid budget is not used for its intended purpose and instead ends up being pocketed by those administering the scheme. One way to tackle this would be through increasing the rules attached to foreign aid donations and stronger independent monitoring by the United Nations to ensure that the aid is being invested in projects to increase food supply.
(Conclusion) I accept that although the world has the means to eliminate hunger completely, many people still suffer on a daily basis, which is partly due to an unequal distribution of technology, as well as corrupt politicians. I believe these issues can be dealt with through tech subsidies and better regulation of the foreign aid budget. This issue is a clear example of how unequal the world is. It is a big challenge for current and future generations. (391 words).
Words: Nick Kemp, former IELTS examiner.
Images: PublicDomainImages / Pixabay.